


Resident Evil: The Umbrella Legacy

by ResiGamerGirl



Series: Power of Sin trilogy [2]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Complete, Gen, Original Character(s), POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-14
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-30 11:56:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 136,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3935890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResiGamerGirl/pseuds/ResiGamerGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Book 2 of a trilogy. Sequel to "Power of Sin". Takes place three months after the events in the first story. Chris, Wesker, and Eva have joined forces in the fight to bring the Umbrella Corporation down once and for all. New enemies and allies alike! Contains many OC, AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Sacrifice

Prologue

-Sacrifice-

Time and Location Unknown...

He was supposed to make a difference. He was supposed to be the kind of someone the tyrant had told him he was once. Wesker had admitted the world needed people like him. Men who could thrive in miserable environments so that others could sleep at night. He might not have always thrived in such environments but he had certainly been surviving all these years. And for what? So others would never have to experience the nightmares he had witnessed and escaped from?

The question of why he fought so hard against the evil in the world was something he'd thought of often. After he'd gotten older and gotten used to his life being on the line every goddamn day, the question was left unanswered. The reason he risked everything remained unknown to him. He simply fought because it needed to be done. Because no one else was going to stand up against evil corporations and the bad men who ran them. Someone needed to stop these people from unleashing biological attacks upon unsuspecting populations. So he'd done it. He had become the soldier necessary to prevent as many casualties as he was able to.

Enemies became his allies. He wouldn't go as far as to say he could place his trust in them, but he perhaps understood their way of thinking. Understanding a person's way of thinking had become endlessly helpful to him on his journey to defeat the worst corporation he knew of. Umbrella Corporation seemed impossibly strong. They'd limped on even after he'd been sure they were ruined and done for.

There were losses that came with learning of Umbrella's survival. No matter how much you try and prepare yourself for the possible death of a friend and ally, it's not possible. When it happens, it is as though a piece of your soul is ripped away with them. They will no longer be around for you to see them in good times; and the bad. They're just gone.

Months went by after he'd discovered Umbrella was still around and he had kept mostly to himself when it could be helped. It wasn't anything personal against his latest allies Eva and Wesker, okay, maybe Wesker. But it was just the way he kept himself going each day. Telling himself there was nothing he needed to see. A single stream of thoughts that had come to him one day had changed all of that. It had made him realize he was blinding himself to the obvious truth. The belief that there was nothing he needed to see, was banished that day.

Telling yourself there isn't anything you need to see? It isn't true is it? You can keep pretending or you can admit it. Everything's different now. It's been different since the day they died.

He could no longer keep pretending there was nothing left for him now that Jill was gone. Couldn't keep pretending there was no work to be done. There was and always would be. And it mattered. It mattered to him that people were dying from biohazard-related incidents every week. And it mattered if he could make a difference, then he needed to.

That was what he had set out to do. Make a difference by saving lives. But somewhere he must have taken a wrong turn. Somewhere he must have made a mistake. Otherwise he wouldn't be lying on his stomach, against hard floor, watching his friend and comrade's lifeless eyes staring into his own slowly dulling ones. He had failed to protect her and keep her safe, like so many partners before her. This time, he hadn't been able to save himself either.

The increasing pool of blood around him, seeping from his own wounds, began to mingle with the blood that had come from Eva's wounds. The pain had completely receded from his body. He could barely feel the bullets that had hammered into his chest and stomach only seconds before. He tried and failed once again to take hold of Eva's hand and his arm dropped back to the floor. Darkness began to encroach on his vision as it did so many times when he was losing consciousness. But this time he knew, the darkness would be permanent.

One last thought ran through his mind and he chuckled to himself inside his head. He had always figured the one to kill him would have been Wesker. It seemed he had been wrong. This thought of his nemesis, Albert Wesker, was the last thing that went through his brain. Then his body stilled and his eyes stared blankly into Eva's similarly blank and lifeless eyes.

After so many battles, so many wins, and so many losses; Chris Redfield finally slipped into the darkness and let go. He died.


	2. Three Months Later

Chapter 1

-Three Months Later-

Chris Redfield and Albert Wesker sat across from each other at the kitchen table in the small apartment they were currently residing in. Chris was leaned back in his chair with arms crossed tightly as he glared at the man across from him. Said man was seated much more relaxed with his elbows resting on the table and his hands folded in front of him, hovering just above his chin. His stare towards the former BSAA member was one of contemplation and Chris felt like he was an experiment being studied.

After he had come to stay with Eva and Wesker following the events in Africa, Chris had quickly begun to suspect the blonde tyrant had ulterior motives for agreeing to let him stay with them. It seemed Wesker thought he had found himself a new test subject to observe and experiment on. Too bad then that Chris had no intention of letting the former Umbrella researcher do any such thing to him. The tyrant raised an eyebrow at the other man, a silent display of his desire for Chris to conform to his will.

"For the last time! No!" he shouted angrily.

"Oh come now Chris, just one sample." Wesker prodded.

He wasn't going to budge. "I told you three months ago when you asked me back in Africa and I'm telling you now. No! You can't have a sample of my blood. I won't be another one of your experiments!"

"There is clearly green in your eyes that wasn't there before, a side effect of the R-Virus. I need one little sample to confirm what I already suspect; you're infected."

"Don't make me say it again, Wesker."

Clearly Wesker wasn't going to accept such an answer because he went on with his explanation as to why he should receive a sample of Chris's blood. "I've learned from Eva's blood that she has unusually high concentrations of coenzyme Q10 and acetyl L-carnitine so I want to see if your blood is identical."

Chris's expression became confused. "Huh? Speak English."

Wesker rolled his eyes irritably. He had forgotten he was dealing with someone on a much lower intelligence level. "Those enzymes contribute to keeping cells young and healthy."

The blonde was met with a blank stare, causing Wesker to sigh. "It means her cells are remaining fresh and strong. Eva has stopped growing, stopped aging altogether."

"Whoa, what? She's stopped aging, as in she isn't going to get any older?" Chris asked.

"According to my observations, yes."

"Ever?!" he exclaimed, stunned by what he was hearing.

"Redfield, I tire of repeating myself."

Chris stuck his tongue out at the frustrated man opposite him, causing the man to groan audibly.

"How very mature, Chris."

He shrugged and grinned broadly at the other man. If he was forced to live with his most hated enemy, the least he could get out of it was to annoy the other man as much as possible. Wesker opened his mouth to say something to Chris but then a ringing vibrated from inside the heavy coat which he'd thrown across the back of the chair he was seated on. The tyrant reached down and dug into one of the pockets, extracting his cell phone.

"Yes."

Chris leaned forward eagerly, uncrossing his arms. Hopefully this was the call they had been waiting on. The location of Umbrella's headquarters.

Chris, Wesker, and Eva had returned to the United States after the events in Africa about three months ago and found an apartment in a small town in Colorado. To the world, all three were officially missing and presumed dead. It was important everyone continued to believe this lie because the three of them had to stay off Umbrella's radar. Because of this none of them were allowed to make any phone calls or have any contact with friends or family. Not that it was a problem for Wesker. The tyrant simply didn't make friends which wasn't too hard to imagine for anyone who had ever met him.

The only phone that could be used was Wesker's cell and it was only for his use in hearing from informants such as the one he was on the phone with now. As the blonde listened to whomever was on the other line, his face remained expressionless, leaving Chris with no idea as to what was being said. The former BSAA member started tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

"I see. Keep me informed." Wesker finally spoke into the phone before disconnecting the call and replacing the cell back into his coat pocket.

Wesker fixed his eyes upon the anxious man across from him. Even with the sunglasses on, Chris could tell the eyes were narrowed in an annoyed frown.

"Ever lacking as the model of self-restraint, aren't we Chris?" the tyrant commented.

Chris chose to ignore Wesker's insult but did cease his tapping before asking the man what he had learned.

"Well? Did you get the location?" Chris asked.

"You really don't know what to do with yourself now that you're not in the BSAA, do you?" Wesker said as more of a statement than a question.

Chris frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You join an organization and completely dedicate yourself to it. But by throwing yourself into something, when it is taken away, you are left with nothing."

"What? That's not true Wesker, I-" Chris defensively protested but was cut off as Wesker continued.

"It's the same with everything in your life. You throw yourself into danger without thinking about your own safety and you think it's heroic when really, it's just foolish. What good are you going to be to the people you want to protect if you get yourself killed, hm?" Wesker gauged Chris's reaction to his words as he spoke.

Anger was beginning to bubble within Chris's chest and his fists were clenching and unclenching as he listened to Wesker pick apart his life and determine what made the former BSAA soldier tick. What right did Wesker have to judge him? None. The tyrant had done every imaginable evil there was and yet he was going to sit there and point out Chris's flaws? There was no way Chris was going to take that.

"Then again your track record is anything but spotless when it comes to saving the ones you love."

Chris knew what he was going to say next and he stared wide-eyed at Wesker, shocked that he would dare to do such a thing. Especially not when they had agreed to form an alliance. Then again, they had never agreed to be civil to one another.

"Don't," he whispered, warningly.

The tyrant paid him no heed and in fact seemed pleased that he was affecting Chris so easily with mere words. Any remnants of self control Chris had, disappeared with Wesker's next words.

"You lost your entire team back in Africa, you lost Sheva, and you lost Jill."

Jill. Memories flashed back to Chris of that fateful day in Spencer's estate when Jill and him had gone in search of the president of Umbrella only to find Wesker standing over the corpse of the aging Umbrella head. The two of them had fought a losing battle against their former STARS captain and when Wesker was about to finish him off, Jill had thrown herself into the tyrant to stop him. Ally and enemy alike had gone through the window and both had fallen to the gorge below. That was when Jill's life had truly been lost. When she was meant to die and Chris had mourned her death knowing this.

But then he'd learned two years later in Africa, that Wesker had kept Jill alive by unnatural means. He'd implanted a device on her chest which continuously dosed her with a drug known as P30 and she had remained alive and under his complete control. In an attempt to save her, Chris had removed the device only to have her die in his arms. He had lost his partner twice in one lifetime and the pain of losing her twice would never completely heal. And here Wesker was, the one responsible for Jill's death, rubbing Chris's failure to save her in his face. Chris allowed his building fury to take over his mind.

/

Though Wesker probably should have realized he would get such a reaction from the other man, his eyes still widened slightly as Chris dove across the table and tackled him to the floor. For a moment he just laid there on his back taking blow after blow from Chris's fists as they rained down across his chest and face. Finally deciding he had allowed Chris sufficient time, he caught a fist as it tried to make contact with his face and squeezed. Wesker observed the other man wincing as he crushed the man's fist beneath his, and Chris tried to hit Wesker with his free hand but that one was caught too. Then he brought his head up and slammed it into Chris's own.

With the soldier dazed from the blow, this gave Wesker the perfect opportunity to knee him in the stomach before tossing him away. Chris flew into the the table, knocking it over, along with a chair that fell on top of him. His opponent appeared more determined than ever as he pulled himself to his feet and charged again.

Wesker avoided each blow and then spun, landing a powerful kick against Chris's stomach which sent him into the next room. He walked into the small sitting room and found a lamp flying at his head. Wesker ducked and the lamp sailed past, smashing against the wall behind him. He noted the lamp had belonged to Eva who had received it as a gift from her Aunt Natasha. His daughter was not going to be pleased it was broken. This time Wesker attacked, and grabbing Chris by the neck, he threw the younger man against the closest wall and then to the floor.

An audible grunt of pain escaped the man on the floor but he got back to his feet anyways, wiping the blood away as it began to trail from his mouth. He glared at Wesker and then rammed himself into his midsection. Wesker was only forced back an inch or two before he was able to stop himself and he rammed his knee into the other man's stomach, stealing the air from him. He then lifted Chris by the shirt and threw him off to the side.

/

Chris found himself being lifted by his shirt and then he was bodily thrown into the couch which was soft. But it didn't feel so nice when the weight of his body caused the couch to flip over and the entire thing landed on top of him. He struggled to free himself from the heavy piece of furniture but paused when he heard footsteps drawing closer and then Wesker was doing it for him. The tyrant fisted a handful of brown locks and dragged Chris out from under the couch with painful force.

He clawed at Wesker's hand, trying to force him to release the cruel grip and when that failed, he lashed out with a booted foot and succeeded in knocking the tyrant back momentarily. Jumping to his feet, he leaped at the taller man and they both went crashing back into the kitchen. The two fell against one of the fallen chairs and the splintering of breaking wood resounded throughout the room. The stronger man gained the upper hand and rolled them so that he was on top, punching Chris in the face hard. Chris's head snapped back from the hit and the back of his head smacked into the tile floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one of the chair legs had broken off and he snatched it up. He tried to hit Wesker with it but the other man knocked it away with the back of his hand and the piece of wood went flying and landed near the doorway, out of reach.

Straddling the younger man, Wesker slammed his fist into Chris's chest a couple times before landing a strong punch to his face which seemed to only infuriate the man beneath him. Chris knew the other wasn't using his full power behind each blow. A single punch from the inhuman being could send him reeling, make him see stars. These hits hurt, but were nowhere near the level of damage put on him in Spencer's mansion or his African mission. He was going easy on Chris and still the former agent was getting the crap beat out of him.

He kneed Wesker in the back but it was clearly barely felt. When a fist managed to reach up and hit his assailant in the face, the sunglasses were knocked off, broken. Scowling down at him, Wesker locked a hand around his throat and began to squeeze.

"You're going to pay for that." Wesker growled at him. Those sunglasses weren't cheap.

"What the hell is going on here?!"

The two men froze in their fighting and Wesker loosened his grip around the other man's neck before both of them slowly shifted their gazes towards the apartment's door. Eva was standing in the open doorway with a bag of groceries in one arm, her eyes wide with surprise at the sight of the two of them trying to tear each other apart. Her surprise quickly turned to anger when she surveyed the damage they had done to the apartment. Nearly every piece of furniture in the kitchen and sitting room was either turned over or broken. Her eyes landed on the shattered lamp laying in fragments to her right and her eyes narrowed.

"That lamp was a gift," she informed the two men who were getting to their feet, looking a bit sheepish at having been caught fighting so childishly.

"From my aunt, who I'm not allowed to have any contact with any more, which means it was sentimental." Eva finished angrily.

Wesker picked up the table and set it upright in its appropriate position and Chris followed his lead, picking up the remaining good chair they had left and setting it on its legs. Both men were feeling pretty embarrassed being scolded by a seventeen-year-old and they muttered apologies before moving into the sitting room to start cleaning up the mess they had made there. The two were placing the couch back in its proper position when from behind him, Chris heard Eva closing the front door.

"Which one of you animals broke my lamp?"

Wesker and Chris paused in their lifting of the couch and exchanged glances, neither wanting to say anything that could make this worse than it already was. Something hard smacked against the back of Chris's skull.

"Ow!" he yelled in pain.

He set the couch down and turned to see the broken chair leg had been the object thrown at his head. Chris shifted his eyes to meet Eva's and the girl placed her hands firmly onto her hips.

"Chris Redfield, you are buying me a new lamp!"


	3. Wesker's Promise

Chapter 2

-Wesker's Promise-

After the apartment had been sufficiently made neat and clean again, Eva ordered Wesker to put the groceries away before dragging Chris out of the apartment in search of a new lamp. There were only two furniture stores in the entire town and there was no way Eva was going to replace her gift with something from a second-hand shop, so they headed across town, to Melanie's Home Furnishings on 19th street. The two walked the first few blocks in complete silence before Chris finally broke it with something he'd been wondering about.

"So how did you know it was me?"

"My dad wouldn't need to use a lamp in a fight against you." Eva replied easily.

"Why did you bother asking which one of us did it then?" Chris asked her, curiously.

"It's nice to hear people tell the truth, you know?"

Chris did know.

"Yeah," he said in reply and the two walked on in silence for another block.

Apparently he didn't like walking in silence because he was the one who ended it again. "So did Wesker share his test results with you?"

Chris didn't really want to ask her about it because a part of him didn't want to see how she would take it. But another part of him did want to know how she would deal with such news. When Eva didn't say anything, he glanced sideways at her and found her staring up at the sky. After a long moment of staring at the clear blue afternoon's atmosphere, she returned her gaze to him.

"I'm going to see plenty of blue skies that's for sure. And thousands upon thousands of sunrises and sunsets..no millions of them, because I'm certainly going to be around long enough."

Her tone was bitter and it was easy to see she was not happy with the possibility of living forever.

"Maybe he's wrong and read the test results incorrectly. There's always that chance." Chris tried to reason to make her feel better.

Eva shrugged. "Yeah maybe. Wesker isn't wrong a whole lot though, especially when it comes to science. I examined the results myself and could find no error in his procedure or variables. This time, I think we're both pretty certain of what this R-Virus or Regenerative virus is. The virus is activated upon the host's death and stops all signs of aging both inside and out. I'm never going to get any older. I'm stuck being seventeen forever."

"Hey that doesn't sound so bad. You get to be young and beautiful your whole life." Chris said cheerfully.

She blushed slightly at his compliment but remained upset. "It is bad. Don't you see? I'll never get to be an adult and therefore treated like one. I'll always just be a kid."

"Wesker and I don't see you as just a kid Eva..." Chris trailed off as she went on.

"I'll never get to be a mother and if I did become one, my kids might be cursed with inheriting the virus. And even if they didn't inherit it, I'd be forced to watch my own kids pass my age, grow old, and die."

Chris wanted to point out that technically if her children were infected with the same virus it wouldn't affect them unless they were killed, but he didn't think she needed to hear logic right now. She just needed someone to listen to her since she didn't have anyone to talk to when her aunt wasn't around any more. He was aware Eva's aunt had raised her since she was a baby and was basically her mother so he knew it must have been hard for her to be unable to talk to her any longer.

Once this whole mess with Umbrella was over she would be able to but in the meantime, Chris couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Eva was only seventeen and had already faced so much. She had even died once and Chris couldn't help but suspect dying and coming back to life had changed her somewhat. Sometimes she would appear to be the same when she goofed around and laughed around them, trying constantly to get the two long time enemies to ease up around each other. But whenever he caught her by herself, she was always staring up at the sky looking lost and alone.

It made Chris sad that someone so young was forced to carry the burden of bringing down the evil corporation and if he had his way he would have tried to keep Eva from joining them in their quest. She would never have stayed behind willingly though. Not after she had seen how Umbrella had destroyed a good person like Chris's last partner, Sheva Alomar, and how they'd ended countless lives just to further their efforts to become even more rich and powerful than they already were.

Something that had been bothering Chris made him stop his thoughts and speak. "So you really can't die no matter what? If you were to get killed again then would you simply wake up like before?"

Eva nodded. "Wesker seems to think so. I guess this immortality thing means I get to live forever alongside my dad..and maybe you?"

She asked that last part as a leading question and Chris stopped in his tracks, effectively halting their procession down the sidewalk. He turned to look at Eva, a bit of concern in his eyes. There were many reasons why he hadn't let Wesker draw his blood to be tested for the virus and he'd only admitted one. He definitely didn't want to be turned into one of Wesker's test subjects but that wasn't the main reason he refused to give up the blood. Chris was afraid of what Wesker might find. He didn't want to live forever.

He had never been one to desire money or power or immortality. Chris had always been a fighter, a soldier. Someone who stopped those with power from hurting the people without. He would spend his whole life protecting those people but if his life ended up lasting forever... He couldn't possibly fight for eternity.

Eva seemed to notice the heavy weight she had suddenly placed upon his shoulders with her small question and she tried to reverse it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you will live forever. We don't know the results and if you don't have the virus I'll just have to deal with it. I..." Eva paused as she realized she wasn't doing a very good job with her words. "I'm sorry we talked about this, let's just keep walking."

Chris made no such move to keep walking when she took a few steps onward and she turned back to him.

"I don't think I could do it."

"Huh? Do what, Chris?"

"Live forever."

"Oh."

The two stared at each other in silence for a long moment before they both continued to progress down the street. Neither bothered to mention that if he truly was infected, he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Turning the corner, they walked the next few blocks quietly and another word was not uttered until they reached their destination. Stopping in front of the furniture store's window, Chris glanced at the items on display.

"So what kind of lamp are we looking for?" he asked. "Are we going for something similar to the one I tried to break your father's head open with..or..."

He was rewarded with a giggle from the green-eyed girl and she punched him lightly on the arm. As they made their way into the store, Eva was still giggling to herself.

"That's what I like about you, Chris. You do what others would never dare to."

"Is that all you like about me?" he teased, grateful for the lighter circumstances.

Eva pretended to think about it, crossing her arms and tapping a finger thoughtfully against her lip. "Well we keep you around cause you're easy on the eyes too."

Chris remained totally ignorant to the fact she was flirting with him and laughed. "Because of my looks and because I'm daring. Interesting combination."

Eva smiled and leaned in closer to him. "So what do you like about me?"

Chris was taken aback by the question and the forwardness with which she asked it. He'd learned long ago that Eva wasn't the greatest at discerning what was appropriate and what wasn't, and this could definitely be considered one of those times. Probably came with the extremely higher intellect. She was leaning very close to him now and he felt her hand brush against his arm, staring into his eyes as she waited for him to answer. He had never been more relieved to see a salesperson when the female worker approached them from where they stood by the entrance.

"Welcome to Melanie's Home Furnishings. Is there anything particular I can help you find today?" the mid-20's or so saleswoman asked them politely.

Chris used this as an opportunity to step away from Eva, closer to the employee so he could talk to her. "Yeah actually, we're in search of a lamp."

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed disappointment flash across her face. When the saleswoman turned to look at her though, Eva's expression quickly transformed into the usual expressionless demeanor she held for anyone she didn't know or trust.

"That's right. We're looking for a lamp. Do you happen to have any cone shaped lamps made with stain glass? The one I used to have was designed with blue orchids, my favorite flower." Eva told the salesperson.

"Hm, well we have a selection of stain glass lamps towards the back of the store. Why don't you follow me and I'll show you where they are," the saleswoman said optimistically.

"Yes, why don't you." Eva muttered dryly, but the saleswoman either chose to pretend she didn't hear or truly hadn't because her cheerfulness never faltered as she led them through the store.

While Eva browsed through their selection of lamps, Chris stood awkwardly with the saleswoman who had chosen to remain with them as they searched. The female employee continuously snuck glances at Chris when she thought he wasn't looking, making it painfully obvious that she was admiring his appearance. When he finally turned his head to stare directly at the saleswoman so she knew he had noticed her staring, the woman straightened up and told him she would be waiting over by the counter if he needed anything else.

She departed quickly and when Chris glanced back to make sure she had actually gone, he saw her approach another saleswoman approximately the same age and started whispering. After a moment they both looked in Chris's direction before turning back to each other and giggling like little school girls. Chris sighed and rotated back to watch Eva investigating the assortment of lamps, quietly wishing she would hurry up.

He had never thought of himself much as a looker. He had only worked out like crazy so he could stand a fighting chance against Wesker in a fight that was never going to be fair, since Wesker's super-strength and speed from his manipulated virus always gave him the advantage.

Now that he thought about it, Chris had never really had a decent romantic relationship. He hadn't bothered to take the time to have a social life or a dating one when he was fighting Umbrella and other terrorists. Jill would probably have been the one woman he was closest with apart from his sister. But Chris had never gotten the chance to sort out his feelings for his longtime partner because the incident at the Spencer estate had happened where he'd lost her for the first time. Sure he'd seen her again in Africa two years later but only to lose her once again and this time permanently. There was nothing more permanent than death. He thought sourly to himself.

"They don't have my old lamp but what do you think of this one?" Eva asked, startling him out of his thoughts. "It has blue flowers though they're not orchids. What do you think?"

"If it's what you want then I think it's perfect." Chris told her.

This caused Eva to roll her eyes. "Typical guy response. Seriously, what do you think?"

"I think it's great."

Eva smiled at that. "Good cause I like it."

As they made their way over to the counter she added, "Though it isn't my old lamp so it doesn't have the sentimental value. If only someone hadn't tried to kill my father with it."

The two shared a laugh and Chris proceeded to pay for the lamp at the counter before heading out with Eva toting the lamp under one arm. As they left he heard their saleswoman ask her friend if she had noticed the girl's eyes. Chris knew she was talking about Eva and a quick glance at the blonde haired girl told him she hadn't heard them talking about her. He was grateful for that because he didn't think Eva would have appreciated recognition of her abnormally bright green eyes which were hers as a result of the virus she hated so much.

Once back in the apartment, running water told them Wesker was in the shower. The first thing Eva did was check to make sure her father had put away all of the groceries in the appropriate places. Chris took a seat in their one good kitchen chair, debating what he should do. There wasn't much to do around the apartment and he was desperate to go out and infiltrate another base. The three of them had managed to shut down four supposed pharmaceutical facilities meddling in bio-weapon affairs quite easily, by breaking in and destroying their data over the past three months, but had failed to come up with any useful information concerning Umbrella.

Finished surveying the kitchen, Chris watched Eva make her way into the connecting room with her lamp. She frowned as she stared down at the wooden table and bent over to examine the square piece of furniture more closely. She straightened again and frowned at Chris.

"Did you bleed on my table?"

Chris stood up. "Your table?"

He came over to see what she meant and she smirked at his question. "Yes, my table. Girls have automatic rights to furniture as soon as they move in."

Chris chuckled softly. "Is that so? You should all provide a guide for us guys so we stand a chance at understanding women. Oh yeah, that would be from when Wesker threw me across the room and my head connected with it. It was also where I generated the thought that it was actually a good idea to throw your lamp. Sorry about that. I'll get something to clean the blood off."

Chris started to go to retrieve a wet cloth but paused when Eva placed a hand on his arm. He turned back to see what she wanted and became aware the green-eyed girl was now standing very close to him.

"Hey Chris, you never answered my question before," she said as she stared into his darker eyes. "What do you like about me?"

He swallowed hard, instant discomfort flooding him; and was it suddenly a hundred degrees in this room or what? It had certainly taken him long enough but he was now fully aware of how Eva saw him. Chris didn't want to have to tell her he just didn't feel the same way about her. He decided to play it cool and act as if he didn't know the answer she was really searching for.

"We've already established you're pretty, didn't we?" Chris asked her.

"You said beautiful before." Eva reminded him with a smile.

Chris cursed himself. He just had to use that word didn't he. Way to go Redfield. Eva was waiting expectantly for him to say more.

"Uhh, you definitely have smarts."

"So I'm not all looks then?" Eva asked him.

"No..." Chris said cautiously. He was started to feel like this was some sort of trap.

"So you don't really think I'm that pretty?"

"What? I never said-" he protested as she took offense for some reason he couldn't even imagine.

He hadn't gotten much out before he was cut off by lips pressed against his own as she made herself taller up on her tiptoes to reach him. Chris's eyes grew wide with shock and as soon as he realized the kiss was happening he broke it. Unfortunately not quick enough it seemed because when Eva lowered herself back to stand properly on both feet, her cheeks were a brilliant shade of red. But she was staring meekly at a spot past Chris's left shoulder.

There was only one other person in that apartment and he was the one person who would quite literally kill someone if angered enough. Chris slowly turned around to find Wesker standing with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, in the kitchen. He had eyes solely for Chris and they were glowing a deep red. To put it simpler, he looked downright pissed.

"Let me explain what happened," he started babbling. "It's not what it looked like."

"A word, Redfield." Wesker stated coldly, staring him in the eyes.

The last thing Chris wanted to do was go near an angry tyrant but he also was acutely aware that if Wesker had to, he could easily drag Chris kicking and screaming to wherever he wanted.

"Dad, don't be like that. It wasn't-" Eva tried to reason with him but he interrupted her sharply.

"Eva, you should go take a walk."

"No. No way. I'm not leaving so you can go ahead and kill Chris!" she protested.

"I'm not going to kill him, now go."

Eva didn't look like she believed him which only caused Chris even greater concern for his life. His fear deepened as he saw she was going to listen to him. She glanced back at Chris one last time before exiting through the front door. Complete silence now filled the apartment and Wesker waited until Eva's footsteps could be heard descending the stairs before speaking.

"I believe I made myself clear on the conditions of you living with us, did I not?" Wesker asked him.

Chris examined the distance from where he was standing to where the front door was, trying to calculate the time it would take for him to reach it. Too long that was for sure. Seemingly sensing Chris's plans to make a run for it, in a blur Wesker moved. He reappeared standing directly in front of him. Startled, Chris stumbled back and tripped over his own feet. He fell to the carpet with a grunt and looked up to find Wesker looming over him.

It was ridiculous how terrifying the man could still appear to be in nothing but a bath towel.

"I believe my exact words were, if you ever engaged in relations with my daughter I would personally castrate you. I believe that was what was said." Wesker told him. "Do you recall my warning?"

He gulped and nodded numbly. "Yes."

"I always keep my promises, Chris." Wesker said, and purposefully placed a hand on Chris's chest, slowly letting it slide lower and lower to that certain spot he most certainly preferred to keep intact.

Thinking quickly he uttered, "But you didn't promise!"

Wesker paused, his hand resting against Chris's belt. "Excuse me?"

"You said your exact words were that if I had relations with your daughter then you would castrate me yourself, but you never said you promised to." Chris managed to stammer out.

Wesker's glowing red eyes stared at him for a long moment before a smirk spread across his face. "The terror in your eyes was priceless."

"W-what?" Chris stuttered, now very confused.

Wesker's smile widened and the glowing red faded from his eyes a bit. "You really believed I was going to castrate you, didn't you, Chris?" the tyrant observed, and laughed at Chris's stiffened form. "Oh relax, Chris. I'm not going to be cutting any extremities off today."

He stared at the other man. "You..were just kidding...?"

"Indeed," Wesker replied. "I know my daughter was the one to initiate the kiss and you were merely standing there dumbfounded. You always were ever so slow at catching on but really, Chris. Three months go by with her staring at you like you were the only one around and it wasn't until she made a move before you came around to noticing how she feels. Quite sad, Chris. It's no wonder you never had any lasting relationships."

Chris could feel his face heating up as Wesker analyzed his love life but before the embarrassment could become anger, the front door to the apartment burst open and Eva came racing in with fists raised.

"I can't let you kill him, dad! You're going to have to kill me too!" Eva cried out determinedly.

Wesker and Chris turned simultaneously to stare at the distraught girl, exchanged glances with one another, returned their gazes to Eva, and then burst out laughing. Yes, even Wesker was laughing in a non-evil inspired way, and the girl was left slowly lowering her raised fists, looking puzzled.

"What? What's so funny? Dad? Chris? What's so funny?" Eva was left sputtering as the two continued to laugh.


	4. Umbrella Corporation

Chapter 3

-Umbrella Corporation-

The pharmaceutical company, Umbrella Corporation. Manufacturer of medical hardware, defense, computers, cosmetics, and consumer products. In secret, a major player in engineering bio-weaponry. The corporation was founded in 1968 by Oswell E. Spencer, Dr. James Marcus, and Edward Ashford. Although the three men created the pharmaceutical company, they were far more interested in the potential uses of a virus they discovered during the 1960s, a virus they called the Progenitor virus. Ashford was a fool, however, and contracted the Progenitor virus which swiftly led to his death.

Perhaps it was for the best that he passed in such a way, or surely Spencer would have disposed of him by the same means as he did with Dr. Marcus. Marcus's only error was in being a brilliant scientist with an obsession, and he paid for it with his life. As soon as Dr. Marcus began to make progress on his newly created T-Virus, Spencer ordered his assassination in 1988 and effectively stole all of his research. Lost in his own obsession, he'd failed to see another man's much more ambitious one.

But inside that obsession, Spencer was endlessly paranoid and feared he would lose his position as a key figure within Umbrella Corporation if he allowed certain individuals to live. The bastard even ordered the architect of his mansion built above the Arklay Laboratories near Raccoon City to be killed, because he was afraid the guy knew what he was up to and would rat him out. Not only that, he ordered the guy's wife and daughter to be used as test subjects as well. That's the kind of sick heartlessness that has kept the Umbrella Corporation running for so long. The true evil of Umbrella was brought to light with the incident in Raccoon City.

Raccoon City had become overrun with the T-Virus and also, it was full of evidence leading directly back to the Umbrella Corporation. To ensure the company's continued survival, Raccoon City was annihilated by a nuclear missile and anything linking Umbrella to the disaster was destroyed along with the city. Even after destroying evidence of their crimes, the corporation faced several survivors who spread word of what they knew of Umbrella's involvement, and Spencer fought vehemently to silence these people.

The president of Umbrella used his enormous wealth to cover up the Raccoon City catastrophe, making it seem like a government conspiracy, and succeeded in dragging out the legal proceedings against their corporation. But there was only so much Spencer could make disappear with money and when subsequent virus incidents followed after Raccoon City, Umbrella's stock prices plummeted. By the early 21st century, the Umbrella Corporation's ruin was nearly complete and this was only exacerbated with their president, Oswell Spencer's, disappearance. Certainly like the paranoid man to run off and hide when the going got tough.

An Umbrella stronghold came under attack in 2003 by special forces troops led by two ex-STARS and survivors of T-Virus outbreaks, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. To add to their attack at the same time, a traitor to Umbrella, Albert Wesker, infiltrated the facility and assassinated the current head of Umbrella. The traitor also stole data from the corporation's supercomputer before destroying the computer itself. Wesker then proceeded to turn incriminating data over to prosecutors and even testified under false pretenses, all to help bring Umbrella down. For all intents and purposes, Umbrella was finished.

Or so the corporation allowed the public to believe. In truth, the corporation continued to thrive under the alias of a new name, Murphy Pharmaceuticals, named after the new company president, Richard Murphy. Murphy is a sneaky, conniving son of a bitch. Ever since he began working for the company in 1979 at the young age of seventeen, he'd been making his own side projects and his own plans. He was merely waiting for the day Spencer lost his power within Umbrella so he could finally make his move to take over the company and call it his own.

Now Murphy was fascinated with machines and he sought to create the ultimate machine fused with a biological being. And he succeeded a few years ago but was faced with a problem. His creation, which he labeled the Obliterator, would do just that. The machine had the potential to wipe out the entire planet if powered up long enough, therefore utterly useless in generating a profit. If he could fuse the machine with a human more viable, more capable of controlling the dangerous weapon then perhaps he would have the ultimate means of obtaining control over not only his corporation, but the entire world.

Thus Project Skye was born and there was one he created two years ago that he'd hoped would have been that success. A man cloned, that he named Dante. And Dante was powerful. He could create vast illusions of both people and places. He was capable of making himself appear to be any person he wished, could make a person believe they were somewhere else, and his illusions were so physically real that they could be touched and touch others. His own creations could do harm if they believed they could. Final reports even indicated his projections lasted temporarily beyond his death in an African town.

Ultimately, for Umbrella's purposes, he was too powerful and knew it. He escaped the Umbrella facility he was created in with ease and sought to have his own fun.

Dante did target enemies of Umbrella which may have proven that Murphy was partially successful in his endeavors, but in the end it was still a failure because his creation refused to obey its programmed instructions to allow itself to fuse with the weapon.

Not in the slightest bit deterred by the numerous failures, Murphy digressed until he finally created a second viable clone ten months ago. This clone was a female named Melody because of her strange desire to sing a lot of the time. But this was not what was most intriguing about her. When Melody sang, sometimes the future was predicted. She claimed to have dreamed the events the night before and felt she needed to express them in the song that also came to her in the dream. The female clone proved this skill of hers by predicting several attacks right before they took place against various Umbrella facilities and Marcus was able to mobilize Umbrella Special Forces Units (USFU) to defend those buildings, ultimately preventing the infiltrators from achieving their objectives to completely destroy the facilities.

It wasn't long though, before she began to exhibit similar behaviors as Dante. More and more the clone refused to sing until finally she ran away from the facility. No one could stop her because no one dared too. She had shown remarkable skills in being able to will oxygen away from a person's lungs, causing them to slowly die from lack of oxygen with only the will of her mind. Melody could even cause an entire room to deplete of oxygen if she felt threatened in any way, all without being harmed herself.

The Umbrella Corporation lost the clone's trail for a while until they learned she was moving across the country, singing in bars and theaters as she went. Melody wasn't unintelligent enough to think the company wouldn't come after her eventually if they ever got the chance, so she kept herself mobile, never staying in one town for long. The last place she was spotted was a few weeks ago in Nevada and the clone hasn't been seen since.

Faced with another failure, Murphy has become more unhinged with each passing day. The continued attacks on his multiple facilities, some under the guise of belonging to the more legit pharmaceutical company, Tricell, by what appear to be two separate parties has caused him to become weary and impatient of waiting for his machine to be complete. But even now, his determination to fulfill Umbrella's legacy of obtaining ultimate power and prestige has not faded in the slightest.

Now why does someone have so much knowledge about the Umbrella Corporation and its new president Richard Murphy? Because that someone has dedicated their entire lives to learning everything there is to know about the company and its employees.

I hate Umbrella. I despise them to the very core of my being. Umbrella has destroyed countless lives and caused hundreds more to become victimized through the corporation's selfish endeavors in their neverending quest for more wealth and power than they already have.

I am a victim of the Umbrella Corporation too. I even bear a mark upon my face that will permanently remind me of the terrible atrocities they committed against me and my family. Umbrella murdered them all, under the orders of Richard Murphy, and I cannot wait until the day the two of us meet each other face to face. Murphy will suffer greatly before I finally grant him the sweet release of death. He will pay for the torment he caused me and for the agony he still causes me to this day.

So now you may be asking yourselves what could this man be doing even to this day, that keeps my hatred fresh and never abating? You may wonder why I am consumed with bitterness and filled with rage at the very knowledge that Murphy continues to breathe and does so rather comfortably... Why I have devoted my entire life, my entire being to focusing on obtaining revenge against Umbrella.

It is because they have not only destroyed my entire family but also continue to use it to aid in their own selfish goals. For over twenty years Murphy has used my family to help him create his terrible machine, Obliterator.

How could this be so you may ask yourself? Because when Umbrella killed my family and gave me my scar, they took someone with them and used them in their experiments for over twenty years. The original human that is the source of all of their clones, specifically Dante and Melody... That human test subject would be my younger brother.


	5. Freak

Chapter 4

-Freak-

Eva meandered slowly along the side of the deserted road. It was only 10:30 or so at night but this town always seemed abandoned by eight o'clock. Well that wasn't entirely true. Saturday nights the town was full of noise and people walking about because on Saturdays, the local theater was open to performances of a wide variety. Whether it was a band, a comedian, karaoke, or a traveling spokesperson; there was always someone around to liven up the atmosphere. But tonight wasn't a Saturday night and so the streets were left empty and dark. Most shops were closed as early as seven and so there wasn't really a destination to head towards, leaving her to wander about without a real purpose.

Beats the alternative. Eva thought to herself, recalling how deathly quiet it was in the apartment most of the time. Chris and Wesker tried to be civil with one another but today had been another example of how tough of a time those two had being around each other. Too much animosity remained between the two of them because of their long history and it wasn't about to disappear anytime soon. Still, Eva wished they could drop the past and start getting along before she went crazy. It was unbearable to sit in a silent apartment day after day while they waited to hear from Wesker's sources.

This whole mission to stop Umbrella thing was proving to be a lot harder than Eva had initially imagined. She figured it would consist of several break ins, destruction of data, and moving on to the next one until they were all done. But finding these important pharmaceutical facilities wasn't easy. It had taken them an entire month simply to discover Umbrella now hid under the guise of a company known as Murphy Pharmaceuticals, and tracking down the buildings that were especially important to the corporation was no easy task to complete when you were also in hiding.

Eva kicked a small chunk of broken concrete and watched it slide across the road, disappearing into the darkness. Glancing around she couldn't believe how quiet it always seemed to be. What do these people do when they're inside so early? Eva wondered. Have family time or something? Maybe I should suggest family time to dad to try and bring him and Chris closer to each other. This idea circulating in her mind caused her to release a laugh out loud.

What an absolutely ludicrous idea. Now Wesker was a great dad, no questions there. He would do anything for her. But he definitely wasn't the whole emotional, let's share our feelings type. Quite the reverse actually. He much preferred people to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves unless it served to benefit him in some way. She smiled and shook her head. Great, now she was being mean.

"Something funny about my face?"

Eva's head shot up faster than she could comprehend where the voice was coming from. Directly in front of her and only a few yards away was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-20's or so. Initially, everything about the woman standing before her appeared to be astonishingly pale. Her skin was a pallid white, her lips barely a red hue, and her hair was short, falling just past her chin. The hair could possibly be considered blonde though it appeared washed out and more closely resembling white which seemed strange on such a young face.

On closer inspection, the stark contrast her eyes proved to be against such a pasty complexion was shockworthy. The woman's eyes were an icy blue shade and appeared to be practically glowing in contrast to the rest of her bland color. Somehow those eyes seemed familiar to Eva, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

"I was thinking about something in my head, sorry." Eva muttered quickly, embarrassed to have been caught laughing to herself.

She didn't like to show emotions in public if it could be helped. It was something her father had taught her. Wesker had warned her that everyone lied and everyone looked out for themselves over others. People weren't to be trusted and even when they earned your trust they were to be regarded with caution in case their intentions were not really good. So the easiest way to gain an advantage over your enemy was to keep them from knowing what you were thinking.

Eva remembered it drove her Aunt Natasha up the wall that even though she spent the majority of her time with Natasha, she had taken after Wesker in almost every conceivable way. The two dressed similar, acted similar, held the same views on most things, and more. Natasha had decided perhaps Eva had taken after her father so much because of his lack of being there most of the time.

She wasn't sure why she turned out the way she had. And Eva wasn't going to complain about the way she was either because it made her strong, kept her on guard around other people. This was how she was now, instantly on defense. Instinctively she reached to where she normally kept her gun holstered on her belt and then remembered she wasn't wearing her belt or carrying her gun. Both items were safely back home in her bedroom drawer since she couldn't exactly go walking about the town openly armed with a weapon. The woman noticed her reach and seemed to read what Eva was thinking about her appearance.

"I do not get out in the sun much. I mostly go out at night," the woman explained.

No kidding. Eva thought, taking in the woman's clothing as well. Eva was guessing the woman didn't know much about the whole idea of attempting to actually match what one wore. She was wearing tight blue jeans that were tucked into tall black boots with heels, a ruffled navy blue skirt which ended just barely past her upper thigh while the other side of the skirt extended to below the left knee, a black t-shirt similar to the one Eva was currently wearing, and she also must have been wearing a purple shirt beneath the black one because long purple sleeves covered her arms and was too long for her arms so the sleeve slide over her hands, covering them completely.

Firmly deciding that the woman was insane and may have escaped from a mental institution somewhere nearby, Eva slid past the stranger, who truly put the strange into the word, and quickened her pace to head onto another street.

"Wait!" the woman called out to her.

Eva found herself pausing, though she didn't have the slightest idea what for. She didn't really want to have anything to do with this woman and yet, if she could help... The woman did seem lost and was all alone... Eva found herself turning back towards the woman and her green eyes locked onto the woman's icy blues. Again, there was something familiar about those eyes, something drawing her in and keeping her fascinated.

"What is it?" Eva asked the woman.

"I know you. I have seen you before," the woman told Eva. "In a dream I keep having. It is strange. I have never dreamed the same one again and again, except for this one."

"Okay, now I know you're crazy." Eva blurted out without meaning to. At least she hadn't added the name 'freak' to the end of it like she had done in her head.

The woman seemed undeterred by this comment though and continued to talk. "Yes, it was you. My memory is good and I am certain of it. Except, in my dream your eyes were blue. Your eyes are very much green, strange..."

"That's what's strange about this?" she asked, incredulously. "Look, obviously you're disturbed so why don't we take a walk. The police station is only a few blocks from here and I'm sure they could help you much better than I ever could."

"No!"

The force at which the woman rejected Eva's suggestion, startled the younger girl. Was this woman a criminal or something? She seemed to very clearly want to be nowhere near law enforcement which only added to Eva's suspicions that there was something not quite right about the other woman.

"I think you should explain yourself!" Eva exclaimed, growing annoyed at the extreme oddness which appeared to surround the stranger.

The young woman's eyes shifted back and forth and Eva knew that reaction. The stranger was deciding whether or not she should tell the truth or fabricate a story. This increased Eva's uneasiness and the girl wished once more that she had brought her gun with her. Then again, how much damage could this woman possibly do against Eva when the latter knew how to defend herself and put up a fight. Once more, she had Wesker to thank for that. Finally the woman seemed to have made up her mind and what she said was surprising.

"I cannot be completely honest. I do not feel you mean any harm to me but I do not know you either," the woman said to her after much hesitation.

Eva lifted up her hands as if surrendering any part of her that may have seemed threatening. "Nobody's making you say anything you don't want to."

The pale woman nodded. "Thank you. Well, I suppose you could say I am a wanderer. I am always moving and I do not like to stay in one place for long."

"Wow, how long have you been moving around?"

The other thought about this for a moment before replying. "One or two months at most."

"Moving around all the time... That must be hard. How do you work so that you can feed yourself and buy clothes and everything?"

The woman's eyes shifted to the left, seemingly staring into the space next to Eva but the girl knew what this was. She was conjuring up something to tell her, something other than the truth.

"I get by. Stay at people's homes or sleep under the stars. It is no big deal," she told Eva.

Ignoring that she had most likely been lied to, she frowned. "That's no way to live. You need a home. A real place to stay."

The woman's expression became almost saddened by these words but then she just smiled at Eva. "No, I like constantly moving around. It makes me remember I am..free."

Eva found this to be rather odd words. "Of course you're free. Why wouldn't you be?"

The woman only smiled. "You are young and probably live with your parents, safe and sound. You would not know of these things."

Now she found that to be quite offending. "Um, excuse me but I have plenty of experience. I even died once so-"

She mentally slapped herself in the face. Had she really revealed to this stranger that she had died before? A quick glance to see the reaction told her she had indeed said those exact words. At first the woman's reaction was one normally expected from someone who had been told by another that they had come back to life. She seemed surprised and put off by the rarely heard statement. But then the woman's expression became almost relieved and her cold blue eyes lit up hopefully.

"Does this-Are you-Does this mean you are not human?" the woman eagerly asked.

"Don't be ridiculous of course I'm human." Eva quickly answered, careful to retain her expressionless demeanor.

The woman's eyes narrowed and she appeared upset now. She lifted a hand in front of her, fingers outstretched, and Eva frowned, wondering what she was doing. She didn't wonder for long though because suddenly Eva was having a hard time breathing. She stared in surprised terror at the woman who continued to watch her blankly and she found herself rapidly losing strength. Her mind was becoming a mesh of random thoughts and she couldn't concentrate on keeping her footing. She sank to her knees, vision blackening, and then she wasn't thinking anything.

Eva blinked slowly and opened her eyes to find herself sprawled on her back, staring up at the night sky. She felt disoriented and focused on trying to straighten her thoughts so she could remember what happened to her. Then everything came back. The pale woman with the icy blue irises. Mentioned woman in the oddly arranged clothing had lifted an open palm towards her and Eva had apparently forgotten how to breathe as soon as she had done that which meant this woman wasn't even close to being normal. Noticing the woman hadn't budged from her original spot, Eva jumped to her feet and glared fiercely at the other.

"Bitch!" she yelled angrily.

This brought a smile to the other woman's barely colored lips. "See, you are not human."

Eva opened her mouth to protest but was left grasping for words upon hearing this and she fully realized what the other woman had done to her. "Wait, you killed me?"

"Yes, I did. And you woke up again after only a few minutes. You were telling the truth when you claimed you had died before. You are not human," the woman seemed gleeful about this which only angered Eva further.

"I am too human!" Eva cried. "I bleed and feel just like everyone else! I just..can't..die... Or well, I can die. I just don't stay that way."

The young woman seemed curious. "Really? How did you obtain such an ability?"

"What makes you think I obtained my ability from anything?" she demanded, back on the defensive, as well as feeling rather annoyed at recently being murdered for no good reason.

"Oh I am sorry, were you born this way?"

Her anger faded. "Well..no."

"Then how did you obtain this most unusual ability you have displayed?"

"A virus, okay?" Eva told her reluctantly. "You wouldn't know anything about it so there's no point in me telling you any more."

"You do not like people much do you? Merely an observation."

"I like people! Just not strange women that I meet on the street who have the ability to kill me with their freakin' mind!" she exclaimed defensively. "Speaking of which, what the hell are you?!"

The pale woman met her eyes. "I am not human."

"No shit. I got that from the whole hand thingy. How did you do that anyways?" Eva questioned.

She shrugged. "I was created that way. If I wish it, I can make oxygen within a certain radius of myself evaporate."

Eva held up a hand as if to stop her from saying any more even though the woman had made no move to continue speaking. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on here. I noticed you used the word created. Are we talking the good old-fashioned made by your mother and father, the whole sperm and egg deal? Or are we talking mad scientist created?"

She appeared to be considering Eva's words very seriously before she replied. "I did think he seemed a bit unstable so he may very well be insane."

"And he would be...?" Eva trailed off to allow the woman to fill in the blanks.

"My creator. He is a scientist, though he was always wearing that blue suit of his, without a lab coat."

Eva smirked slightly. "You're making comments about his clothes. Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

The woman didn't seem to understand what Eva was implying concerning her odd choice of clothing and Eva lowered her outstretched arm slowly. There were definitely some communication issues going on here.

"So what exactly are you?" she asked her curiously.

"Or perhaps I am human," the woman said thoughtfully.

Yes, there were definitely issues with communicating between the two of them. First she wasn't human and now she was human. One thing was for certain. She wasn't normal physically, and Eva would argue, mentally either. Eva would have to agree with the assumption the woman made of not being human, and not just because she could steal oxygen away with the flick of her wrist.

Eva agreed with her being inhuman because the woman didn't seem to know how to act around other people at all. The stranger was the exact replica of someone people would avoid if given the option. She displayed all the signs of someone who didn't know how to behave or speak as if they had rarely done so.

"I was born in a lab," the woman said, speaking carefully. "I was made from the cells of my biological father. I believe my creator called me a clone. Yes, that is what he said. I am a clone. In the beginning my creator only observed me to see what my full potential was. But then, he wanted me to do something terrible and I did not want to. That is why I left the lab, my birthplace. Why I left the experiments behind me. I was afraid if I stayed I would be forced to do what my creator wanted or become like my father."

Eva was now extremely interested. "What? What did your creator want you to do?"

"A machine," the woman spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "The one in my dream. The same dream you and that man are in. A horrible machine powered by human hands. My creator wanted me to become one with the machine, so that he could use it for his own selfish gain. I could see the evil he would do with it and I did not want to help him. Even without me becoming a part of it and controlling it, that machine is a terrible creation. It should never have been created as I never should have been. It only brings destruction! It should be destroyed before something awful happens. When I told the blue suited man of my desire to leave, he took me to this machine and showed it to me. He wanted me to use it for him but I never will."

Eva heard everything she said but her mind lingered on the mention of the dream again. "You say you keep having a dream with me in it?"

"Yes. Nearly every night."

"What happened in this dream?"

"I am sorry, I cannot remember unless I am singing and I cannot sing unless the song comes to me," the woman answered apologetically. "The song has yet to come. This is very strange for me. Never have I had the same dream more than once and never has the song taken so long to come to me. Perhaps this means the future I am to predict, is not set in stone yet. I can only assume that is the reason for this..uncertainty I feel."

"But you said you recognized me from it." Eva pointed out.

The pale woman confirmed this. "Yes, I remember that much. I remember you were standing next to that dangerous machine. A man was there with you. That is all I can recall."

Eva nodded to show she had been listening. Inside, her mind was racing. So there was a machine someone had built that posed great danger to the rest of the world. Definitely fascinating, not to mention sometime in the future she would be standing next to it. So maybe Eva and this man in the woman's dream were supposed to find and destroy the machine before it could hurt anyone. It certainly went along with their mission description, in a way.

The man with her was probably Wesker or Chris. She couldn't imagine why she would be with anyone else when she wasn't exactly in touch with others besides the two of them. Interpreting that this was what the dream meant, she became decidedly determined. She, Wesker, and Chris were going to find this machine and destroy it before it could do any damage. The only problem would be in convincing Wesker that this needed to take priority over their mission to bring down Umbrella. That and they also had to find the machine in the first place. But how were they going to go about doing it? Eva turned and looked over at the woman. Hmm..from the source of the information perhaps.

"Since you're a wanderer, does that mean you'll be needing a place to stay?"

"I usually find soft grass and keep the sky above my head. I do not like enclosed spaces as you can imagine. Being born in a test tube will do that to someone."

"I can imagine. Well, not really. But you could use a few nights off of the ground. Come on, I could probably sneak you in without my dad noticing. They go to sleep early the old geezers." Eva promptly informed the other.

The woman didn't comprehend the wise-crack Eva had made about how Wesker and Chris acted like the elderly by going to bed early but by now this was no surprise to the teenager. Clearly, this woman didn't have a sense of humor or boundaries for that matter, considering she had killed Eva with only the knowledge that there was a chance she would come back to life. Instead, the woman blinked a few times as if processing what had been said to her.

"You would like for me to stay in your home? But I do not even know who you are."

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying and my name's Eva. It's not a huge deal or anything. You can stay with us while you're hiding from the people you're so clearly hiding from. Your creator and all that stuff you told me about. It will be safe cause we're sort of in hiding from some people too." Eva added and then immediately wished she hadn't.

Shut up Eva. The whole world doesn't need to know you're hiding from an evil corporation bent on producing bio-organic weapons in an attempt to become rich and powerful. This especially didn't need to be said when the person she was talking to appeared to be something of a bio-weapon herself. Which immediately struck a thought into her head.

"Who is your creator?" Eva wondered to her out loud.

"His name is Richard. He told me to call him by that name. He seemed to be very important because everyone was always coming to him to give him news and results from experiments. You know, that might explain the blue suit he wore whenever I saw him. Important people appear to wear suits in this world."

Eva raised an eyebrow. This was going to be a very interesting experience.

"Well come on, it's getting late. Did you have any things of yours you need to go grab from wherever you last slept?"

"I do not have any items but the clothes I took from a rather large building in this one town I stayed in once," the woman informed her.

"Took?" Eva questioned.

"Yes, it was a nice place. The building was several stories high and full of all sorts of colorful clothing. So many things to choose from and I was not sure how to wear them all but I put some on in the fashion they seemed to be meant to be worn and left."

"But you paid for them first right?"

The pallid woman appeared confused by this question. "Were the clothes not meant to be worn, Eva?"

She stared. "Yeah the clothes are meant to be worn, but you were in a store. You were supposed to pay for those!"

The woman seemed to find the whole idea perplexing and she looked back at Eva's incredulous stare blankly.

"Undoubtedly a store that big was overpriced and contained far more clothing items than they would ever have needed to sell to make a profit. I am certain my actions will not affect business projections."

Eva quite literally slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand in exasperation. For knowing so much this woman also knew so little about how the world really worked. Deciding to let bygones be bygones, and since it wasn't her store either, she moved on.

"Okay then. Anyway, let's get going. I live several blocks back that way." Eva told the woman, pointing behind herself in the direction she had originally come from.

The two women began to walk and they hadn't gone far when Eva realized something the other woman had never told her.

"Hey, you never told me your name."

"Oh, Melody," the young woman told her. "My name is Melody."

Melody huh? Interesting name for someone so bland in appearance. She thought to herself as the two of them walked back towards the apartment. Can't really blame her for the lack of color though, since the woman was born in a test tube. I look forward to learning more about you, Melody. After all, us freaks have got to stick together.


	6. Haunted Dreams

Chapter 5

-Haunted Dreams-

Lightning flashed and thunder roared loudly outside the Spencer estate in Europe. Heavy rains pelted the roof of the house and with the storm raging outside, the two shadowy figures moving from room to room were grateful for the noise which masked their steps.

"All clear here!"

Chris nodded to his partner to show he had heard her. "That just leaves the library."

Jill looked to him. "Okay, let's move."

The two BSAA agents made their way down the carpeted hallway, taking great care to tread as silently as possible. If Spencer was truly here as their informant had told them, then they wanted to ensure they had the element of surprise. The president of Umbrella, Oswell Spencer, had escaped them too many times before. They weren't going to let him get away this time. They had been searching for him too long to let that happen again. Spencer had to pay for his numerous crimes against humanity. He was now a considered terrorist and the two agents were determined to stop him and arrest him once and for all.

The partners reached the double doors and exchanged glances to ensure each of them were ready. Determining that they were, the two burst through the doors with guns out, prepared to shoot any possible threats. What the two BSAA members saw, however, neither of them had been expecting. Oswell Spencer's body was lying on the floor in a large pool of his own blood. His stomach had a gaping hole from some kind of brute force and was approximately the size of a man's hand. Chris knew exactly who had put this horrific wound in the old man when his gaze shifted up and over to the large glass windows.

A man was standing there with his back to the agents as he peered out the window, watching the storm. Upon hearing them enter, he slowly turned to gaze upon them and when he saw who it was he began to smile. Chris and Jill were startled to see it was Wesker and quickly the agents changed plan. Now their mission would be to apprehend Wesker instead of the late Oswell Spencer.

"Wesker!" Chris yelled.

He began to fire at Wesker without hesitation, knowing he was extremely dangerous and would kill them both. He heard Jill begin shooting almost immediately after he started and the two agents were amazed as Wesker dodged each of their bullets as if it were as simple a task as walking. Suddenly Wesker appeared to disappear and he reappeared directly in front of Chris. The tyrant gripped the arm that Chris held his gun in so hard that the BSAA agent was forced to drop the weapon.

Wesker then proceeded to hit him several times, causing Chris to stumble back. Wesker moved on to Jill and she was hit and then lifted into the air by a gloved hand enclosed around her neck. She grunted in pain as her back hit the wall and struggled helplessly to free herself from the tyrant's cruel hold.

When Chris saw Wesker hurting Jill he became furious and attacked the other man, slamming a fist into the side of Wesker's head. Their enemy released Jill and she dropped to the ground while the two men became locked in hand to hand combat. Wesker dispatched Chris easily once again and when Jill attacked he disarmed her knife and sent her flying into the far wall with a powerful shove to the chest. The female agent hit glass shelves with her back and cried out in pain as she fell to the floor.

Once again angered to see his partner hurt, Chris engaged the tyrant in combat but it was clear he was outmatched. Within seconds he found himself lifted into the air by his neck before being slammed down onto a table and dragged along it. Wooden splinters dug into his back and when he reached the end of the table, the hand released his neck as he was flung across the room. So much pain coursed through his body that Chris was unable to think coherently. He vaguely observed that Wesker was coming for him but he couldn't seem to get his body to stand or even move at all. The cruel hand grabbed him roughly by the shirt and he was lifted into the air.

Chris found himself once more amazed by how strong Wesker was to be capable of lifting an entire person into the air without so much as straining. Then he began to think maybe he shouldn't be thinking about something like that when he was in the man's lethal clutches but he still couldn't find the strength to fight back. Wesker was speaking to him now but he was too disoriented to make out the words. Chris thought he heard Jill shouting something and then he found himself falling to the ground as Jill slammed into Wesker. She brought the two of them crashing through the window and Chris was powerless to stop his partner's inevitable fall to her death.

But wait... Wesker had managed to hold on and he now pulled himself back through the window. The BSAA member stared from where he sat in horror as the tyrant got to his feet, towering over Chris. The man was shaking his head with mock sympathy as he motioned towards the broken window. He was talking too but Chris didn't hear a word of what was being said to him.

He was still in shock. This wasn't right. Something was wrong with this picture. He was given no time to recover and a gloved hand latched around his throat, dragging Chris onto his knees. The hand began to squeeze and the BSAA agent could do nothing as his oxygen supply drained away and his vision began to darken as his life was stolen from him. Even as Wesker killed him, all Chris could think was how this wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be.

Chris opened his eyes wide and a small gasp escaped his lips. He was in darkness but instantly became more calm when he realized he was safe in his own bed. He had been having nightmares ever since Africa and most of them ended with Wesker killing him. They had grown increasingly worse of late and though Chris was gifted in hiding his fears well, he was now certain that he was terrified of the tyrant. He wasn't scared of Wesker really, but the monster that was inside of that man. Knowing he was frightened seemed to make Chris angrier a lot of the time and he wondered what he was going to do if this fear didn't disappear eventually.

The former BSAA member needed to work with Wesker and his daughter so they could stop Umbrella and other companies like them. And as hard as it was, Chris needed to trust Wesker with his life and vice versa, though the other man would probably insist he needed no one to help him.

Chris tried to shove these thoughts to the back of his mind so he could return to his sleep. As much as he dreaded falling back asleep since another nightmare probably awaited him, he knew he needed to at least get whatever rest he could. Chris rolled uncomfortably onto his side and the sheet slid down to bunch up near his feet but he made no move to recover it. He was only dressed in boxers but he was feeling warm and restless from his nightmare. He shifted onto his back and closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep.

But then he began to get the growing sensation that he was no longer alone. Chris opened his eyes and his gaze zoned in on a pair of red glowing eyes staring back at him from the foot of the bed. Startled, he started to sit up and his mouth opened to yell out but the other man was faster.

Chris suddenly felt the crushing weight of Wesker sitting on his chest. The tyrant's hand covered Chris's mouth so he couldn't shout out while pushing his head back onto the pillow at the same time.

"Shhh..." Wesker whispered, placing a finger to his own lips to signify that Chris shouldn't make any sounds. "We wouldn't want to wake Eva now, would we?"

Chris stopped struggling for a moment to stare back at a sunglasses-less Wesker. He found himself wondering if this was it. Maybe this was what his nightmares had been trying to warn him about. That Wesker was going to kill him. Wesker removed his hand from covering Chris's mouth and reached for something on his person. When Chris saw the needles he began to thrash wildly to get free but Wesker repositioned himself so that his knees dug into Chris's arms, pinning them to the mattress.

"We could have done this the easy way, Chris. But you refused to hand over just a little bit of your blood so I am forced to take it against your will."

Again Chris stilled from his struggling and stared at Wesker. "My..blood..? Wesker! You snuck into my bedroom in the middle of the night just so you could have my blood for your tests!? Get out!"

Wesker nodded. "I will. As soon as I'm done collecting the blood."

He began to struggle anew as Wesker brought one of the needles to Chris's arm, removing his knees from atop them. To lessen the movement the tyrant pressed an arm down against Chris's chest to keep him as still as possible. Wesker poked the needle into his arm but missed the vein since Chris was moving too much yet.

"Hold still. You'll only hurt yourself if you keep fighting me." Wesker informed him logically.

This angered him but he also knew Wesker had a point. And if he did hold still then at least Wesker would leave sooner. It was killing him to no end though, that Wesker had won this one. The blonde-haired man always got what he wanted for the most part and it drove Chris insane. He stopped fighting against Wesker's hold and the black-clad man successfully inserted the needle into a vein in Chris's arm, filling the syringe with blood. Wesker filled two more syringes and then placed them safely away in a case. He put a bandage over the area he'd drawn blood from and grinned down at him.

"Thanks for the cooperation, Chris. We both know how you can be endlessly stubborn at times."

Chris angrily tried to throw a punch at the older man but he caught it easily and tightened his grip until Chris was wincing in pain. Wesker reached for something in his pocket and fished a small object out. Before Chris had barely even seen that it was a pill, his fist was released and both gloved hands were used to force the pill into his mouth. He blocked Chris's access to air until the pill was swallowed and then released his face but moved his hands to keep his arms down.

"What was that? What did you do?!" he shouted.

Wesker gave a small laugh. "It's only a sleeping pill, Chris. I figured you would have a difficult time getting back to sleep otherwise so this will simplify matters."

"You liar. You drugged me so you won't have to deal with me until tomorrow you son of a..." Chris trailed off as he began to feel himself drifting as the drug took effect. He could barely keep his eyes open and the darkness was tugging at the edge of his consciousness.

"As I said, this will simplify matters..for me." He heard Wesker say.

His eyes closed and he let the black of unconsciousness take him gratefully.

Chris opened his eyes to find himself feeling surprisingly well rested. He hadn't had any more nightmares and so he'd been able to sleep through the night. A glance at the clock beside his bed told him it was eight in the morning and then he remembered why he had gotten a good night's rest. The sleeping pill Wesker had forced him to ingest.

Everything from the previous night came back to him and his anger level began to rise as he got dressed. Now looking for a fight, he stomped out of his room in search of the reason for his bad mood. Unfortunately there was nobody in the apartment and he found his anger dwindling when he realized there was no one to use it on.

A noise from the bathroom caught Chris's attention. He hadn't noticed until now that the door was shut and he was fairly certain he could hear someone humming on the other side. The humming was definitely being done by a female and Chris couldn't imagine Eva ever humming to herself so it couldn't have been her.

The former BSAA member made his way cautiously to the closed bathroom door and knocked twice. The humming abruptly halted and a female's voice which he didn't recognize called out for him to come in. Chris placed a hand on the doorknob and opened it slowly, peering in as he did so. Surprise was the first thing to register on his features.

A rather pretty woman was wrapping a towel around her wet body as she stepped out of the shower. Actually she was also incredibly pale, expect for her eyes which were a very strong blue, and they struck Chris as familiar eyes somehow. Chris realized he was staring and he grappled for the doorknob as he mumbled an apology for walking in on her even though she had been the one who told him to come in. His hand slipped and he stumbled over his own feet and started to fall.

The woman saw what was going to happen and tried to help but ended up tripping over Chris's flailing feet. It ended with Chris falling flat on his back and the woman on top of him. She smiled down at him and Chris became uncomfortably aware once again that she was wearing only a towel around herself.

"Oops, sorry," she apologized. "I thought I was alone and wanted to take a quick..shower I think?"

"What do we have here?" Wesker's voice asked from the kitchen area.

He was standing by the front door with Eva beside him and both seemed quite amused at the sight before them.

Immediately Chris pushed the woman off of him and started stammering his explanation about what had happened and how it wasn't what it looked like. The woman flashed him another smile and then disappeared back into the bathroom to leave Chris to deal with the others. He sprang to his feet and felt the heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment but thankfully Eva's next words saved him from becoming even more stupefied than he already was.

"I'm the one who brought her here. I met her last night and she needed a place to stay." Eva explained.

The amusement was now completely gone from Wesker's face. "You did what? We can't let anyone know where we live, Eva. Umbrella has spies everywhere and we can't take risks by meeting new people," he told her sternly.

"But dad-"

"No excuses." Wesker interrupted. "You should never have brought her here. Now we're going to have to leave again which is going to make things much harder than they have to be."

"But dad-"

"Eva, I don't need to hear any more out of you." Wesker said in growing irritation.

"Listen!" Eva yelled at him.

Now certain she had his and Chris's full attention, she continued. "I was trying to tell you that I think she is from Umbrella."

"If you suspected she was with Umbrella why would you bring her here?" Chris asked her in confusion.

Eva walked over to her laptop which rested on the kitchen counter and brought up the Murphy Pharmaceuticals home page. She scanned the website until she spotted what she was looking for and smiled. She turned to face her dad and Chris who had both come over to see what she was trying to say.

"Because I don't think she's exactly with Umbrella. I think she's one of their creations. She told me that a man named Richard was her creator and look here." Eva told them and pointed to a section on the web page. "It says here that Richard Murphy is the president of Murphy Pharmaceuticals. I think this is the Richard she meant. Umbrella created her and that's who she's running from."

"You think that woman is running from Umbrella and so it occurred to you as a good idea to bring her here? What if you were followed? What if they had her under surveillance and now they know where we all are as well? Hm? I can't believe you were so foolish." Wesker said to Eva.

The blonde-haired girl moved away from the computer and regarded her father with anger. "We weren't followed! I'm not stupid. I know how to cover my tracks. Umbrella has no idea where we are."

"If this woman really is running from Umbrella then that makes her on our side, right?" Chris asked.

Without taking his eyes from Eva, Wesker answered shortly. "That makes her a liability."

"Oh please, dad! Everyone in the world is a liability in your opinion." Eva argued. "Not too long ago you wanted to destroy the entire world so you could create your superior race. So don't you try and tell me what's right or wrong. You seem to have a lot of difficulty in the whole morality area yourself so just back off! I invited her here and she is going to stay!"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to cause problems," the pale woman's voice reached the three of them.

She was standing outside the bathroom door only a few feet away from them, dressed in a rather odd assortment of clothing. Blue jeans, blue skirt worn over her jeans, tall black boots, a black shirt, and a purple long-sleeved shirt underneath. Her wet hair appeared to be falling downward in spikes because of the dampness and clung to her neck.

"I should go," the woman murmured and started for the door after a quick glance at them, but then paused.

She stared at Chris and then Eva before returning her stare to him. "You. You are the man from my dream."

"It's him that's with me?" Eva asked her with growing excitement. "Are you sure?"

The woman's sharp blue eyes examined him more closely. "I am certain. He is the one standing beside you in front of the machine."

"I'm sorry but did I miss something?" he questioned. "What dream? And what machine? What do you two know that we don't?"

Wesker didn't seem at all happy that he had been left out of the loop as well and he fixed Eva with a stern look. "Explain."

"Maybe I should introduce her first." Eva suggested. "That would be the polite thing to do. Not that you would know anything about being polite now would you, dad?"

Chris chuckled to himself at Eva's words and when Wesker's head swiveled around to glare at him, he quickly turned the laughter into a cough to conceal it. The tyrant wasn't fooled but he chose to let it go and returned his gaze to their new guest.

Eva came over to stand by the pale woman with the bright blue eyes. "This is Melody and she was created by Umbrella as a bio-weapon."

"And again, you brought her here?" Wesker muttered sourly.

Eva stuck out her tongue at him. "You're just mad I came up with a better lead on Umbrella than you and all your sources could."

Wesker made a noise of discontentment but didn't say anything back at her. Apparently Eva wasn't wrong in her assumptions. Chris cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the tension building between his two roommates. He gave his attention over to Melody and tried to ignore the daggers Eva kept throwing at her father with her eyes.

"So Melody, huh?"

The icy blue eyes turned to stare at him and she nodded her head.

"What can you tell us about Umbrella, Melody?" he asked her gently. "Anything that could help would be much appreciated."

The pale woman looked at each of them in turn before deciding that she would answer. "I know what they are focusing their research on right now. They have created a machine which is capable of destroying the entire planet. This is a problem for them because they do not want to destroy the world, they want to rule it. But they believe they have a solution for this problem. Umbrella is trying to create a being that is powerful enough and capable enough to control this machine and use it to do their bidding. I am one of those people. My creator told me there were others, but they all died soon after they were made. I am one of the few who survived with the ability to control the machine but I refuse to. I saw the evil my creator wanted to use the machine for and so I refused and left."

"You merely left?" Wesker questioned suspiciously. "Umbrella isn't exactly the type to let people leave when they want to."

"I know." Melody agreed. "But the ability I was born with makes me quite persuasive when I want to do something."

"Oh?" Wesker said, an air of curiosity exposing itself, and Eva smiled.

"She can take the air out of a person or an entire room if she's angry enough. Or so she says," she told them. "I experienced firsthand the whole stealing air from a single person thing though so I know she's not lying about that."

"What?" her father asked, looking rather displeased. "Did she hurt you?"

Eva stared at the floor meekly. "Well she seems to have trouble with knowing what's appropriate and what's not. Like you sometimes."

"Excuse me?" Wesker questioned through narrowed eyes.

Eva laughed. "Oh relax, Wesker."

"Good. You called me Wesker for once," he noted.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So anyway... What do you think? She could be a big help in bringing down Umbrella if she could tell us where she was created."

"Possibly." Wesker input. "But my source has other information I would rather explore first. The location of an Umbrella facility in Nevada. We leave this afternoon by helicopter and should arrive by nightfall."

"Finally." Chris said, eager to get going. "Where are we retrieving the gear?"

"All equipment will be ready for us in the chopper." Wesker answered passively, his eyes were contemplating Melody. "Melody, you will remain here. I don't trust you to come with us. I don't like the idea of you staying in this apartment either but I suppose there's not much we can do about that now."

Melody didn't appear to be the least bit disturbed by Wesker's cold demeanor, which was strange since Chris would have expected that kind of behavior to scare anyone who wasn't used to it. Then again, Melody wasn't exactly a normal person either, if she could even be called a person. What did one generally call a woman who was created in a cryotank?

Technically she was alive and living her life like every other average person would be. The only difference was how she was created artificially. Well..and the fact that she apparently could vacuum the very breath from another person's body. Chris recalled the group of people he'd met in Africa three months ago. Whether those people had ever been real or not, they'd been a unique group with a broad scale of capabilities. This wasn't the first time Chris had gained an unusual ally with the ability to kill with only their mind and at a time like this, he wasn't going to complain.

At this point, he was willing to take all the help he could get. Besides that, he had a feeling Melody wasn't a threat to them. It was only a feeling but he tended to trust his feelings since they were right about nine times out of ten. Wesker believed it to be luck but Chris had to disagree with him there. It wasn't luck that had kept Chris alive all these years. No, experience was what kept him breathing.

By the age of 25 he'd been through more than most experienced in their entire lifetime, and he had gone through it all in one night. The night of the mansion incident. He'd lost anything that resembled a normal life and became a permanent soldier against bio-threats. Eva's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"How come we're just gonna ignore what I found out for your source's information? How much better can a source get?! I found a bio-weapon of Umbrella's! She's walking, talking, and in the flesh. Better yet! She wants to help us! It's not fair." Eva pouted, crossing her arms firmly across her chest as she solidified her stance.

Chris glanced at Melody. "Come on, we'd better wait outside until it's time to leave."

The pale woman frowned. "But the other man said we were not leaving until later this afternoon."

Chris nodded and turned, heading to the front door. "His name's Wesker and believe me, we're going to want to stay out of the way of those two for the rest of the morning."

The former BSAA agent opened the front door of the apartment and Melody stepped out into the hallway. Chris led the way down the stairs and had barely gotten down the first few steps when audible shouting could be heard from the apartment the two had recently vacated. It was Eva's voice and she sounded positively furious. Melody seemed to have heard the screaming as well and paused to glance up the stairs.

"That girl does not like people very much," she commented quietly.

Chris grinned. Finally someone else agreed with him. "Trust me on this one. Wesker doesn't like people much either. Let's get out of here while we still can."

Melody continued to listen to the audible argument going on in the apartment upstairs. She gave Chris a small smile and then followed him outside. "That is a very good idea."


	7. Mission Start

Chapter 5

-Haunted Dreams-

Lightning flashed and thunder roared loudly outside the Spencer estate in Europe. Heavy rains pelted the roof of the house and with the storm raging outside, the two shadowy figures moving from room to room were grateful for the noise which masked their steps.

"All clear here!"

Chris nodded to his partner to show he had heard her. "That just leaves the library."

Jill looked to him. "Okay, let's move."

The two BSAA agents made their way down the carpeted hallway, taking great care to tread as silently as possible. If Spencer was truly here as their informant had told them, then they wanted to ensure they had the element of surprise. The president of Umbrella, Oswell Spencer, had escaped them too many times before. They weren't going to let him get away this time. They had been searching for him too long to let that happen again. Spencer had to pay for his numerous crimes against humanity. He was now a considered terrorist and the two agents were determined to stop him and arrest him once and for all.

The partners reached the double doors and exchanged glances to ensure each of them were ready. Determining that they were, the two burst through the doors with guns out, prepared to shoot any possible threats. What the two BSAA members saw, however, neither of them had been expecting. Oswell Spencer's body was lying on the floor in a large pool of his own blood. His stomach had a gaping hole from some kind of brute force and was approximately the size of a man's hand. Chris knew exactly who had put this horrific wound in the old man when his gaze shifted up and over to the large glass windows.

A man was standing there with his back to the agents as he peered out the window, watching the storm. Upon hearing them enter, he slowly turned to gaze upon them and when he saw who it was he began to smile. Chris and Jill were startled to see it was Wesker and quickly the agents changed plan. Now their mission would be to apprehend Wesker instead of the late Oswell Spencer.

"Wesker!" Chris yelled.

He began to fire at Wesker without hesitation, knowing he was extremely dangerous and would kill them both. He heard Jill begin shooting almost immediately after he started and the two agents were amazed as Wesker dodged each of their bullets as if it were as simple a task as walking. Suddenly Wesker appeared to disappear and he reappeared directly in front of Chris. The tyrant gripped the arm that Chris held his gun in so hard that the BSAA agent was forced to drop the weapon.

Wesker then proceeded to hit him several times, causing Chris to stumble back. Wesker moved on to Jill and she was hit and then lifted into the air by a gloved hand enclosed around her neck. She grunted in pain as her back hit the wall and struggled helplessly to free herself from the tyrant's cruel hold.

When Chris saw Wesker hurting Jill he became furious and attacked the other man, slamming a fist into the side of Wesker's head. Their enemy released Jill and she dropped to the ground while the two men became locked in hand to hand combat. Wesker dispatched Chris easily once again and when Jill attacked he disarmed her knife and sent her flying into the far wall with a powerful shove to the chest. The female agent hit glass shelves with her back and cried out in pain as she fell to the floor.

Once again angered to see his partner hurt, Chris engaged the tyrant in combat but it was clear he was outmatched. Within seconds he found himself lifted into the air by his neck before being slammed down onto a table and dragged along it. Wooden splinters dug into his back and when he reached the end of the table, the hand released his neck as he was flung across the room. So much pain coursed through his body that Chris was unable to think coherently. He vaguely observed that Wesker was coming for him but he couldn't seem to get his body to stand or even move at all. The cruel hand grabbed him roughly by the shirt and he was lifted into the air.

Chris found himself once more amazed by how strong Wesker was to be capable of lifting an entire person into the air without so much as straining. Then he began to think maybe he shouldn't be thinking about something like that when he was in the man's lethal clutches but he still couldn't find the strength to fight back. Wesker was speaking to him now but he was too disoriented to make out the words. Chris thought he heard Jill shouting something and then he found himself falling to the ground as Jill slammed into Wesker. She brought the two of them crashing through the window and Chris was powerless to stop his partner's inevitable fall to her death.

But wait... Wesker had managed to hold on and he now pulled himself back through the window. The BSAA member stared from where he sat in horror as the tyrant got to his feet, towering over Chris. The man was shaking his head with mock sympathy as he motioned towards the broken window. He was talking too but Chris didn't hear a word of what was being said to him.

He was still in shock. This wasn't right. Something was wrong with this picture. He was given no time to recover and a gloved hand latched around his throat, dragging Chris onto his knees. The hand began to squeeze and the BSAA agent could do nothing as his oxygen supply drained away and his vision began to darken as his life was stolen from him. Even as Wesker killed him, all Chris could think was how this wasn't right. This wasn't supposed to be.

Chris opened his eyes wide and a small gasp escaped his lips. He was in darkness but instantly became more calm when he realized he was safe in his own bed. He had been having nightmares ever since Africa and most of them ended with Wesker killing him. They had grown increasingly worse of late and though Chris was gifted in hiding his fears well, he was now certain that he was terrified of the tyrant. He wasn't scared of Wesker really, but the monster that was inside of that man. Knowing he was frightened seemed to make Chris angrier a lot of the time and he wondered what he was going to do if this fear didn't disappear eventually.

The former BSAA member needed to work with Wesker and his daughter so they could stop Umbrella and other companies like them. And as hard as it was, Chris needed to trust Wesker with his life and vice versa, though the other man would probably insist he needed no one to help him.

Chris tried to shove these thoughts to the back of his mind so he could return to his sleep. As much as he dreaded falling back asleep since another nightmare probably awaited him, he knew he needed to at least get whatever rest he could. Chris rolled uncomfortably onto his side and the sheet slid down to bunch up near his feet but he made no move to recover it. He was only dressed in boxers but he was feeling warm and restless from his nightmare. He shifted onto his back and closed his eyes, trying to fall back asleep.

But then he began to get the growing sensation that he was no longer alone. Chris opened his eyes and his gaze zoned in on a pair of red glowing eyes staring back at him from the foot of the bed. Startled, he started to sit up and his mouth opened to yell out but the other man was faster.

Chris suddenly felt the crushing weight of Wesker sitting on his chest. The tyrant's hand covered Chris's mouth so he couldn't shout out while pushing his head back onto the pillow at the same time.

"Shhh..." Wesker whispered, placing a finger to his own lips to signify that Chris shouldn't make any sounds. "We wouldn't want to wake Eva now, would we?"

Chris stopped struggling for a moment to stare back at a sunglasses-less Wesker. He found himself wondering if this was it. Maybe this was what his nightmares had been trying to warn him about. That Wesker was going to kill him. Wesker removed his hand from covering Chris's mouth and reached for something on his person. When Chris saw the needles he began to thrash wildly to get free but Wesker repositioned himself so that his knees dug into Chris's arms, pinning them to the mattress.

"We could have done this the easy way, Chris. But you refused to hand over just a little bit of your blood so I am forced to take it against your will."

Again Chris stilled from his struggling and stared at Wesker. "My..blood..? Wesker! You snuck into my bedroom in the middle of the night just so you could have my blood for your tests!? Get out!"

Wesker nodded. "I will. As soon as I'm done collecting the blood."

He began to struggle anew as Wesker brought one of the needles to Chris's arm, removing his knees from atop them. To lessen the movement the tyrant pressed an arm down against Chris's chest to keep him as still as possible. Wesker poked the needle into his arm but missed the vein since Chris was moving too much yet.

"Hold still. You'll only hurt yourself if you keep fighting me." Wesker informed him logically.

This angered him but he also knew Wesker had a point. And if he did hold still then at least Wesker would leave sooner. It was killing him to no end though, that Wesker had won this one. The blonde-haired man always got what he wanted for the most part and it drove Chris insane. He stopped fighting against Wesker's hold and the black-clad man successfully inserted the needle into a vein in Chris's arm, filling the syringe with blood. Wesker filled two more syringes and then placed them safely away in a case. He put a bandage over the area he'd drawn blood from and grinned down at him.

"Thanks for the cooperation, Chris. We both know how you can be endlessly stubborn at times."

Chris angrily tried to throw a punch at the older man but he caught it easily and tightened his grip until Chris was wincing in pain. Wesker reached for something in his pocket and fished a small object out. Before Chris had barely even seen that it was a pill, his fist was released and both gloved hands were used to force the pill into his mouth. He blocked Chris's access to air until the pill was swallowed and then released his face but moved his hands to keep his arms down.

"What was that? What did you do?!" he shouted.

Wesker gave a small laugh. "It's only a sleeping pill, Chris. I figured you would have a difficult time getting back to sleep otherwise so this will simplify matters."

"You liar. You drugged me so you won't have to deal with me until tomorrow you son of a..." Chris trailed off as he began to feel himself drifting as the drug took effect. He could barely keep his eyes open and the darkness was tugging at the edge of his consciousness.

"As I said, this will simplify matters..for me." He heard Wesker say.

His eyes closed and he let the black of unconsciousness take him gratefully.

Chris opened his eyes to find himself feeling surprisingly well rested. He hadn't had any more nightmares and so he'd been able to sleep through the night. A glance at the clock beside his bed told him it was eight in the morning and then he remembered why he had gotten a good night's rest. The sleeping pill Wesker had forced him to ingest.

Everything from the previous night came back to him and his anger level began to rise as he got dressed. Now looking for a fight, he stomped out of his room in search of the reason for his bad mood. Unfortunately there was nobody in the apartment and he found his anger dwindling when he realized there was no one to use it on.

A noise from the bathroom caught Chris's attention. He hadn't noticed until now that the door was shut and he was fairly certain he could hear someone humming on the other side. The humming was definitely being done by a female and Chris couldn't imagine Eva ever humming to herself so it couldn't have been her.

The former BSAA member made his way cautiously to the closed bathroom door and knocked twice. The humming abruptly halted and a female's voice which he didn't recognize called out for him to come in. Chris placed a hand on the doorknob and opened it slowly, peering in as he did so. Surprise was the first thing to register on his features.

A rather pretty woman was wrapping a towel around her wet body as she stepped out of the shower. Actually she was also incredibly pale, expect for her eyes which were a very strong blue, and they struck Chris as familiar eyes somehow. Chris realized he was staring and he grappled for the doorknob as he mumbled an apology for walking in on her even though she had been the one who told him to come in. His hand slipped and he stumbled over his own feet and started to fall.

The woman saw what was going to happen and tried to help but ended up tripping over Chris's flailing feet. It ended with Chris falling flat on his back and the woman on top of him. She smiled down at him and Chris became uncomfortably aware once again that she was wearing only a towel around herself.

"Oops, sorry," she apologized. "I thought I was alone and wanted to take a quick..shower I think?"

"What do we have here?" Wesker's voice asked from the kitchen area.

He was standing by the front door with Eva beside him and both seemed quite amused at the sight before them.

Immediately Chris pushed the woman off of him and started stammering his explanation about what had happened and how it wasn't what it looked like. The woman flashed him another smile and then disappeared back into the bathroom to leave Chris to deal with the others. He sprang to his feet and felt the heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment but thankfully Eva's next words saved him from becoming even more stupefied than he already was.

"I'm the one who brought her here. I met her last night and she needed a place to stay." Eva explained.

The amusement was now completely gone from Wesker's face. "You did what? We can't let anyone know where we live, Eva. Umbrella has spies everywhere and we can't take risks by meeting new people," he told her sternly.

"But dad-"

"No excuses." Wesker interrupted. "You should never have brought her here. Now we're going to have to leave again which is going to make things much harder than they have to be."

"But dad-"

"Eva, I don't need to hear any more out of you." Wesker said in growing irritation.

"Listen!" Eva yelled at him.

Now certain she had his and Chris's full attention, she continued. "I was trying to tell you that I think she is from Umbrella."

"If you suspected she was with Umbrella why would you bring her here?" Chris asked her in confusion.

Eva walked over to her laptop which rested on the kitchen counter and brought up the Murphy Pharmaceuticals home page. She scanned the website until she spotted what she was looking for and smiled. She turned to face her dad and Chris who had both come over to see what she was trying to say.

"Because I don't think she's exactly with Umbrella. I think she's one of their creations. She told me that a man named Richard was her creator and look here." Eva told them and pointed to a section on the web page. "It says here that Richard Murphy is the president of Murphy Pharmaceuticals. I think this is the Richard she meant. Umbrella created her and that's who she's running from."

"You think that woman is running from Umbrella and so it occurred to you as a good idea to bring her here? What if you were followed? What if they had her under surveillance and now they know where we all are as well? Hm? I can't believe you were so foolish." Wesker said to Eva.

The blonde-haired girl moved away from the computer and regarded her father with anger. "We weren't followed! I'm not stupid. I know how to cover my tracks. Umbrella has no idea where we are."

"If this woman really is running from Umbrella then that makes her on our side, right?" Chris asked.

Without taking his eyes from Eva, Wesker answered shortly. "That makes her a liability."

"Oh please, dad! Everyone in the world is a liability in your opinion." Eva argued. "Not too long ago you wanted to destroy the entire world so you could create your superior race. So don't you try and tell me what's right or wrong. You seem to have a lot of difficulty in the whole morality area yourself so just back off! I invited her here and she is going to stay!"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to cause problems," the pale woman's voice reached the three of them.

She was standing outside the bathroom door only a few feet away from them, dressed in a rather odd assortment of clothing. Blue jeans, blue skirt worn over her jeans, tall black boots, a black shirt, and a purple long-sleeved shirt underneath. Her wet hair appeared to be falling downward in spikes because of the dampness and clung to her neck.

"I should go," the woman murmured and started for the door after a quick glance at them, but then paused.

She stared at Chris and then Eva before returning her stare to him. "You. You are the man from my dream."

"It's him that's with me?" Eva asked her with growing excitement. "Are you sure?"

The woman's sharp blue eyes examined him more closely. "I am certain. He is the one standing beside you in front of the machine."

"I'm sorry but did I miss something?" he questioned. "What dream? And what machine? What do you two know that we don't?"

Wesker didn't seem at all happy that he had been left out of the loop as well and he fixed Eva with a stern look. "Explain."

"Maybe I should introduce her first." Eva suggested. "That would be the polite thing to do. Not that you would know anything about being polite now would you, dad?"

Chris chuckled to himself at Eva's words and when Wesker's head swiveled around to glare at him, he quickly turned the laughter into a cough to conceal it. The tyrant wasn't fooled but he chose to let it go and returned his gaze to their new guest.

Eva came over to stand by the pale woman with the bright blue eyes. "This is Melody and she was created by Umbrella as a bio-weapon."

"And again, you brought her here?" Wesker muttered sourly.

Eva stuck out her tongue at him. "You're just mad I came up with a better lead on Umbrella than you and all your sources could."

Wesker made a noise of discontentment but didn't say anything back at her. Apparently Eva wasn't wrong in her assumptions. Chris cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the tension building between his two roommates. He gave his attention over to Melody and tried to ignore the daggers Eva kept throwing at her father with her eyes.

"So Melody, huh?"

The icy blue eyes turned to stare at him and she nodded her head.

"What can you tell us about Umbrella, Melody?" he asked her gently. "Anything that could help would be much appreciated."

The pale woman looked at each of them in turn before deciding that she would answer. "I know what they are focusing their research on right now. They have created a machine which is capable of destroying the entire planet. This is a problem for them because they do not want to destroy the world, they want to rule it. But they believe they have a solution for this problem. Umbrella is trying to create a being that is powerful enough and capable enough to control this machine and use it to do their bidding. I am one of those people. My creator told me there were others, but they all died soon after they were made. I am one of the few who survived with the ability to control the machine but I refuse to. I saw the evil my creator wanted to use the machine for and so I refused and left."

"You merely left?" Wesker questioned suspiciously. "Umbrella isn't exactly the type to let people leave when they want to."

"I know." Melody agreed. "But the ability I was born with makes me quite persuasive when I want to do something."

"Oh?" Wesker said, an air of curiosity exposing itself, and Eva smiled.

"She can take the air out of a person or an entire room if she's angry enough. Or so she says," she told them. "I experienced firsthand the whole stealing air from a single person thing though so I know she's not lying about that."

"What?" her father asked, looking rather displeased. "Did she hurt you?"

Eva stared at the floor meekly. "Well she seems to have trouble with knowing what's appropriate and what's not. Like you sometimes."

"Excuse me?" Wesker questioned through narrowed eyes.

Eva laughed. "Oh relax, Wesker."

"Good. You called me Wesker for once," he noted.

Eva rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. So anyway... What do you think? She could be a big help in bringing down Umbrella if she could tell us where she was created."

"Possibly." Wesker input. "But my source has other information I would rather explore first. The location of an Umbrella facility in Nevada. We leave this afternoon by helicopter and should arrive by nightfall."

"Finally." Chris said, eager to get going. "Where are we retrieving the gear?"

"All equipment will be ready for us in the chopper." Wesker answered passively, his eyes were contemplating Melody. "Melody, you will remain here. I don't trust you to come with us. I don't like the idea of you staying in this apartment either but I suppose there's not much we can do about that now."

Melody didn't appear to be the least bit disturbed by Wesker's cold demeanor, which was strange since Chris would have expected that kind of behavior to scare anyone who wasn't used to it. Then again, Melody wasn't exactly a normal person either, if she could even be called a person. What did one generally call a woman who was created in a cryotank?

Technically she was alive and living her life like every other average person would be. The only difference was how she was created artificially. Well..and the fact that she apparently could vacuum the very breath from another person's body. Chris recalled the group of people he'd met in Africa three months ago. Whether those people had ever been real or not, they'd been a unique group with a broad scale of capabilities. This wasn't the first time Chris had gained an unusual ally with the ability to kill with only their mind and at a time like this, he wasn't going to complain.

At this point, he was willing to take all the help he could get. Besides that, he had a feeling Melody wasn't a threat to them. It was only a feeling but he tended to trust his feelings since they were right about nine times out of ten. Wesker believed it to be luck but Chris had to disagree with him there. It wasn't luck that had kept Chris alive all these years. No, experience was what kept him breathing.

By the age of 25 he'd been through more than most experienced in their entire lifetime, and he had gone through it all in one night. The night of the mansion incident. He'd lost anything that resembled a normal life and became a permanent soldier against bio-threats. Eva's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"How come we're just gonna ignore what I found out for your source's information? How much better can a source get?! I found a bio-weapon of Umbrella's! She's walking, talking, and in the flesh. Better yet! She wants to help us! It's not fair." Eva pouted, crossing her arms firmly across her chest as she solidified her stance.

Chris glanced at Melody. "Come on, we'd better wait outside until it's time to leave."

The pale woman frowned. "But the other man said we were not leaving until later this afternoon."

Chris nodded and turned, heading to the front door. "His name's Wesker and believe me, we're going to want to stay out of the way of those two for the rest of the morning."

The former BSAA agent opened the front door of the apartment and Melody stepped out into the hallway. Chris led the way down the stairs and had barely gotten down the first few steps when audible shouting could be heard from the apartment the two had recently vacated. It was Eva's voice and she sounded positively furious. Melody seemed to have heard the screaming as well and paused to glance up the stairs.

"That girl does not like people very much," she commented quietly.

Chris grinned. Finally someone else agreed with him. "Trust me on this one. Wesker doesn't like people much either. Let's get out of here while we still can."

Melody continued to listen to the audible argument going on in the apartment upstairs. She gave Chris a small smile and then followed him outside. "That is a very good idea."


	8. Dead is Dead

Chapter 7

-Dead is Dead-

Eva felt as though her heart had frozen in her chest when the door slid shut, leaving her with the others and cutting her off from Chris. She would have given anything to be on the other side of the door with the former BSAA agent but there was nothing she could do to change that now. Wesker and the others had heard Chris's shout for Eva to move and her father was now attempting to open the door by sliding the keycard through the door's card reader. The lock beeped and flashed red when he tried to use the card. He frowned and slid the card through again, receiving the same result. Eva pounded on the door and called out to Chris but there was nothing but silence on the other end.

Krauser started to search the room with his eyes and the pilot followed his lead. After a moment, Steve hurried over to one of the computers. He seemed to be searching for some sort of way to unlock the door via the computer but the crease in his forehead gave away the knowledge that he didn't really know what he was doing. Another moment and all of the computer screens in the room flashed and went dark, then began blinking a single green message that informed them the computers had been locked out.

Wonderful. Eva knew they weren't going to be able to figure out how to get the door unlocked using the computer and she had no idea what else they were supposed to do. She turned back around, pounding on the door again as if that could somehow magic the door open for her.

"That won't do any good, little girl," a cold voice informed her from a sound system, the man's voice easily heard throughout the room.

All four of them fell very still and they turned as one to watch as one of the giant computer monitors flashed from the blinking message to fully on and operational. Eva's hand was raised in mid-motion as she had been about to hit the door again and she slowly lowered it, her eyes on the large screen. A man, appearing to be in his early to mid-40's appeared on the computer monitor. He seemed to be standing in an office of some kind and he wore a blue dress suit that looked very expensive. His dark brown hair was slicked back and everything about this man appeared to be flawless.

In a weird way, the man reminded Eva of her dad. This man was clearly vain about his appearance and Wesker was like that too. Though she had the sneaking suspicion that blood on her father's clothes wouldn't bother him in the least, while this man would probably have a panic attack until he was able to change his clothing.

"The room is very much sound proof and quite solid so there's no point in banging on the door. Your friend can't hear you," the man explained only too happily. "In fact, I suspect he won't be hearing much of anything soon. Death has a funny way of doing that."

Eva glared at the man on the screen. "Don't you touch him!"

"Oh?" the man on the monitor started. "And why not? Your friend is trespassing in one of my facilities."

She usually kept a cool head in any situation but when it came to Chris, she just didn't feel like spending the extra amount of energy pretending to be okay and calm. She wanted him to be standing right there beside her, safe and sound. She opened her mouth to demand the man on the screen open the door for Chris but Wesker placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively silencing her. Her father eyed the man on the screen.

"Richard Murphy? President of Murphy Pharmaceuticals?" Wesker questioned but it was in a knowing tone. The man already knew this man's identity.

A smile crept onto the blue suited man's face. "Well that's good. You already know who I am. That saves us some time because I already know who you are as well."

Murphy glanced away from them for a moment, peering down at something. His hands moved in a fluid like movement and gentle clicking could be heard. Eva realized it was the noise and motion of his fingers hitting the keys on a keyboard. After a few seconds had passed, he began to speak to them again.

"Albert Wesker, age 48, though you haven't physically aged since you were 38. Former head of Raccoon City's Special Tactics and Rescue Service, captain of STARS Alpha team, but more relevantly, former researcher for Umbrella Corporation." Murphy read to them from his computer. He returned his gaze to looking out at them. "You made a fatal mistake in leaving Umbrella, Mr. Wesker. Lord Spencer gave you great power, a chance to be a god! But what did you do with it? You murdered Lord Spencer and sought to bring on your own forced evolution of mankind. Well that was an error on your part Mr. Wesker. The forced evolution of mankind will continue but it will be a world without you and your friends in it. There is no place in Umbrella for a traitor like you, or a traitor's daughter."

Murphy looked meaningfully at Eva when he said that last part before returning his cold sneer to Wesker. "We do not forgive and we do not forget."

"Funny. What's all this talk about Umbrella Corporation? I thought you were the president of Murphy Pharmaceuticals." Wesker said to the other man.

The man on the monitor scoffed, fixing his dark blue tie as he did so. "Don't think me a fool, Mr. Wesker. I am not as old or feeble as the great Lord Spencer had become. I can see a threat when he is staring me in the eye. You and your friends didn't come here by chance. You know very well that it is in fact Umbrella that I am in charge of and not a family friendly pharmaceutical company. As I am sure you have figured out by now, Murphy Pharmaceuticals is merely a facade for the public and the Umbrella Corporation is still at work. We have a legacy to fulfill and we will not stop until we have accomplished it as such."

Wesker stared unblinkingly at the large monitor. "Why don't you come over here so we can talk face to face?"

The president of Umbrella straightened up from his leaning position on his desk, looking slightly disturbed. He could sense the threatening tone in Wesker's voice and knew this particular creation of Umbrella's would like nothing more than to thrust his gloved fist through this president's chest as well, watch him choke on his own blood. Murphy adjusted his tie once again. It seemed to be a nervous habit of his, and he turned his eyes back to his laptop.

"I'm afraid we won't get a chance to chat face to face today, seeing as I am not in Nevada. So for the time being you will just have to settle for a little show I'm going to put on for you." Murphy informed them, the smile returning to his lips. "When I was first informed a female intruder had broken into my facility in Nevada, I had no idea you were here with your little group Mr. Wesker."

Eva frowned, glancing at her father to see if he knew what the man was talking about when he mentioned a female intruder. But as usual, Wesker's face betrayed nothing of what he was thinking and so Eva was left to her own thoughts. A female intruder... She must have been the one who'd broken the second floor window with..what did Wesker call it? A hookshot! That was what he'd said. The intruder who had broken in before them must have gained entry into the facility through that window, using the climbing handgun. A handy tool which could shoot out a hook to latch onto rooftops and such before pulling the user up. Eva tuned out any thoughts of the other intruder when Murphy continued speaking.

"When I saw you all on the cameras, I couldn't resist trying one of my traps out." Murphy revealed to them. "I've been waiting so long for this opportunity and so I thank you for that. I'm a bit disappointed your daughter wasn't the one to be caught in my trap. She was almost trapped, too. But your friend in there will make quite the guinea pig nonetheless. He looks like a strong fellow and should put up quite the fight. Let's see..just a moment now, I'm scanning his face through the network... Any moment now..ah!"

Murphy seemed to be browsing something with his eyes because they moved back and forth as he peered down at what must have been his laptop. He looked back up at them and pressed something which suddenly caused the large monitor to go dark. A smaller monitor below the giant one turned on and there was the blue suited man once again. In the place of Murphy on the large monitor, a white corridor filled with smoke came into view. Standing practically in the middle of the hall was a man who was unmistakably Chris Redfield. The president of Umbrella gave them a moment to soak in the visual before he chose to continue talking.

"Christopher Redfield. Former Air Force, former marksman for the STARS Alpha team..under your command once again, Mr. Wesker? How very interesting..." Murphy murmured the last part. His voice grew loud again. "Ah yes, now I remember. We had him followed ever since the incident with Lord Spencer's mansion in 1998. Even lured him in to join and help put together an organization we created."

"The BSAA..." Eva said, her voice barely above a whisper but apparently the listening devices in the lab were state of the art because Murphy shifted his eyes to her when she said this.

"That's correct. The Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance." Murphy said to them. "How did he take it when he learned who we were, hm? That he'd been working inadvertently for Umbrella all this time. For the corporation who'd created his greatest enemy in the form of Mr. Wesker, a man who has hurt everyone he's ever cared about. It's probably eating away at what's left of his sanity. The heart can only remain soft for so long..."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" she yelled at him. "Chris is fine! He's better and stronger than ever because of what you've done to him and his friends!"

Murphy actually let out a small laugh. He appeared to find her words absolutely delicious. "You don't really believe that, do you? No one could possibly be that naive."

Apparently it was obvious to everyone how Eva felt about Chris because Murphy squinted more closely at her through the monitor and let out another dry laugh. "Oh now I see. You're in love with this..Chris."

Eva felt Wesker giving her a sharp glance when Murphy said this and Krauser didn't seem at all surprised at this revelation. The girl gritted her teeth lightly in frustration. She used to be so good at keeping her thoughts and feelings inside so that no one could read her. What had happened?

She almost laughed out loud at such a preposterous question. Because you fell in love with someone who could never love you, that's why..stupid... Eva thought to herself, feeling rather upset that everyone seemed to know her life.

Murphy smiled haughtily at her and wore an expression that clearly said; 'let me tell you how it really is, I'm going to educate you.'

"Well let me be the one to explain to you how the man you love is feeling right now," the president of Umbrella began. "I am rather talented at reading people. Mr. Redfield has had his heart torn apart so many times by tragedy and misfortune that he isn't even sure if it can be considered whole any more. More often than not he wakes up screaming at night because he can't get past the horrors he's faced again and again. He wonders if it's possible to die from grief because God knows he's had enough of it for at least a hundred life times. He has lost everyone he has ever cared about except for one, his dear sister, Claire Redfield. But even she was nearly killed because of him. Because she came looking for him in Raccoon City ten years ago and was almost killed. And again on Rockfort Island she almost died and she was there because of him once more."

The smile faded from Murphy's face as he stared hard at Eva. "As I said before, the heart can only remain soft for so long. It can only take so much before it completely hardens or breaks. The man you love is either well on his way to becoming a sociopathic killer like your father or he'll face his demise at the end of his own gun."

"Shut up!" Eva screamed. Any remnant of control, long gone. "You don't know him! He's the bravest man I know and he's too good to become any of the things you claim! So just shut up!"

The arrogant man shrugged. "Think what you will. One thing we can both agree on is that he's a fighter. That will make this little show much more entertaining. Shh, it's getting started."

Murphy refrained from talking further and Eva found her gaze drawn to the large monitor showing Chris in the hallway. The smoke was slowly beginning to dissipate and he appeared to be straining to see ahead of himself, at the door the group had originally entered the corridor by. A dark shape dropped down from the ceiling behind Chris, breaking the ceiling vent with it. Chris must have heard the piece of ceiling fall to the floor because he spun around, facing the form of what looked to be a man. The smoke must have been too thick for him to see anything though and he just stood there, seeming unsure of what to do.

Another section of the ceiling fell, this time on the opposite side of the hall where Chris had recently been staring and the former BSAA member turned around quickly in that direction. Eva could see what appeared to be two ordinary looking men in the hall with Chris, but the fog around their faces caused their eyes to glow slightly red and so it was clear they weren't human. Memories of her time in Africa came back to her and she was certain now of what they were. The two men were like the ganado in the Kennedy Report and the majini from Africa. Those men in there with Chris were infected with Type 2 Plagas and were definitely dangerous.

Eva found her throat constricting, her breath coming in more slowly as she held it and then released it heavily. Wesker squeezed her shoulder in hopes of comforting her. But it wasn't working for Eva. She was scared, but not for herself. She was terrified for Chris because he had yet to notice that he was no longer alone in the hallway and the two infected with Las Plagas were drawing nearer.

Chris heard two similar but separate noises of what sounded like something falling to the floor in the small hallway and his mind was screaming at him to run. But he didn't have anywhere to go and he could barely see what was in front of him so what could he do? He stood in the center of the hallway trying to see or make out anything, and kept as motionless as possible. Chris strained to hear any more sounds but he heard nothing but the deafening silence that was beginning to make him very nervous. When had silence ever meant anything good in places like these? He pondered bitterly to himself.

He lowered his gun slightly when he still could hear nothing but his own soft breaths, but of course as luck would have it, that's when the figure suddenly emerged from the fog in front of him. It appeared to be a man and he grabbed Chris's shoulders, shoving his face towards his own. At first Chris couldn't figure out why the man was trying to get his head closer like that. Then from the man's mouth, a parasite emerged and split into four pieces as it attempted to close around Chris's head.

The former BSAA member grabbed the man's forearms and tried to pry his vise-like grip off of his shoulders. After a bit of struggling he managed to shove the infected male away from him. Chris knew what was wrong with the man. He was infected with Type 2 Las Plagas and extremely prone to violence and the need to spread its parasitic infection to other hosts or kill them for being uninfected.

Chris kept his attacker back with a right hook to the man's face. With an inhuman whimper it stumbled back and the punch caused Chris to lose his footing a bit. He was soon glad he had faltered sideways or else he never would have glanced to his right in time to notice a second infected individual charging him. This infected did not bother with a surprise attack but instead growled at him as it came running. Chris stepped to the side and the infected went running right into the other infected man, sending both to the floor in a heap.

He used this opportunity to stomp on the chest of both of them and with a last gasp, they went still. Chris wasn't sure if they were dead or not but they certainly appeared down for the time being and the smoke was clearing enough for him to see one of the doors now stood open. The soldier moved quickly out of the hallway trap in case the door closed on him again and searched around himself. He was in the white hall he'd come through after getting out of the elevator which was several halls away from where he was standing. He couldn't quite remember where exactly the elevator was from his position but it had to be around there somewhere.

Chris jumped slightly when the electronic door slid closed behind him after he had barely gone through it. An audible beep sounded and the light by the card reader turned red, signifying it was locked. Not a good sign... Doors locking behind you by some unseen force is never a good sign...

With nowhere to go but forward, he proceeded down the brightly lit hallway at least relieved that the place was well lighted. He paused when a sound caught his ear. Drip. Drip. Drip. Chris rounded a corner and immediately spotted an oval shaped gooey mess of something hanging from the ceiling. There was a jagged opening on one side of the unidentifiable oval thing similar to a cocoon, as if something had forced its way out of it. Chris swallowed hard and gathered his nerves. He remembered seeing this in Africa three months back. The researchers there had named the creature that came out of such a shell, a reaper, because of its ability to kill and how easily it did just that.

Not holding any particular desire to confront such a creature, Chris started backing up. A jittery cry rang out in the hall and then the audible padding of legs moving quickly across the hard floor. A creature with a bug-like head came teetering across the far corner on two legs while the other four remained raised in the air. It was headed straight for him and its mandibles opened and closed as it stared at him with its bug eyes. He didn't bother switching to his magnum. These creatures were frightening and deadly, but well placed shots would quickly reveal their weakest spot. Hitting their primary weak point instantly took these things out. The shooter just had to remain calm and steady. It was a good thing Chris was a marksman.

He took aim at the creature's swinging abdomen just below the thorax, and fired twice. The reaper screeched and fell forward onto all six appendages, exposing a pulsing white sac. He didn't even hesitate and shot the sac. Another one appeared on its back and Chris shot that one too, causing the creature to throw its body back which revealed an even larger white sac on its stomach. Chris fired two shots into the hideous creature's weak spot and the reaper exploded into a gooey mess which dissolved almost immediately upon contact with the floor.

Chris stared at the dissipating mess on the floor. What the hell? This hallway was empty before with no signs of a

virus leak. So why is this place looking more and more like the infection incident in Africa? he asked himself, not knowing what the answer could possibly be and not sure he actually wanted to know. Another cry rang out in the corridor, followed by another. Chris glanced down at the gun in his hand. He'd expended six shots on this one reaper alone.

He only had a spare clip for his handgun, and the single eight round clip in his magnum. How many monsters would appear in this sudden gauntlet he was facing? What he would do if he ran out of ammunition was not something Chris even wanted to think about. He could hear the reapers getting closer as they moved down a hallway perhaps one hall away from the one he was standing in. There had to be at least two of the deadly creatures, possibly more. The only thing Chris was sure about was that he was most likely in the middle of someone's idea of a game. This was a straight forward, release certain creatures at a certain time kind of fun.

"Fun for someone that's not me..." Chris muttered to himself, keeping a firm grip on his weapon as he waited for the reapers to reach him.

And just when Chris was positive things couldn't have been going any worse for him or their mission, a computerized female voice came on over the intercom. "The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated."

A constant wailing of a warning siren began as the woman's voice clicked off. All Chris could think was, when? When was the building going to self-destruct? The computer hadn't given a time which Chris hoped meant they had some. Time that is. But how did it get activated in the first place? That was an even bigger question. There was no way Wesker and the others could have gotten the information they needed and set the place to blow in such a short time-frame. And they especially wouldn't have rigged the placed to explode when none of them knew where he'd gone. No, someone else was behind this.

As he was thinking this, a woman came running around the corner. The woman had short black hair cut stylish, and brown eyes. She was wearing a deep red dress with a slit along one side to reveal a thigh holster. The woman in the red dress wore matching red heels and also wore a scarf tied around her neck. The woman's gun was in her hand and she appeared to be slightly out of breath. When she noticed Chris, she flashed him a quick smile.

"I think we've worn out our welcome, don't you?" the woman asked him breathlessly.

Chris frowned. He could almost swear he knew this woman somehow. His eyes trailed down to the woman's left hand. There was a gun shaped device with a metal attachment on the end. It was a hookshot. This must have been the person who'd broken in before he and the others got there. But judging from her comment, she hadn't set the self-destruct either. Had Murphy done it himself?

Rapid movements from the hallway next to the one they were standing in drew his attention back outward. Chris didn't even take the time to register what was running around the corner. He just knew. Three shots into the reaper sent it stumbling backwards and the woman in red ran past him, to the electronic door which had locked behind him earlier. The door opened without her even needing to swipe a keycard and he recalled the computer's words that all doors would be unlocked to speed up the evacuation process.

Speaking of evacuation... Where were the employees that had been here earlier? Had they all already been evacuated? Had they been warned of intruders by someone? Chris couldn't make sense of any of this but he would have to worry about getting the facts later. For now, he turned and followed after the woman in the dress. Behind them, he could hear the reapers giving chase. By now, there were at least three or four coming after them.

He caught up to the woman as she passed through the door which led to the lab and Chris found everyone right where he'd left them. All four of his team members turned their eyes to look, surprised to see him suddenly standing there. He glanced around at his surroundings. All of the monitors were crackling with white static and there were several piles of what appeared to be remains. One of the bodies over on the far side of the room was only then beginning to dissipate which told him they had been infected. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had been attacked.

"The scientists are gone. They were warned moments after we entered this lab to evacuate." Krauser informed Chris. The scarred man then shifted his gaze to the woman. "Well, if it ain't the bitch in the red dress."

The woman crossed her arms and turned her head away from him. "I see you haven't learned any manners," was all she said to him before glancing at Wesker. "We need to go."

"Wait-What? Who are you? How do you know Krauser?" Chris demanded, his confusion growing.

She stared at him silently as if contemplating what to say to him but was saved from answering when the computerized female voice came on again.

"The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated. Five minutes until detonation."

The woman in red tilted her head up towards one of the speakers. "See, we need to go."

The woman uncrossed her arms and walked over to the wall on the right. She looked at the computer that sat upon the desk near it and began typing away. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing and after a few moments the wall next to the computer slid to the side, revealing a hidden passageway.

"If we hurry we can beat the reapers," the woman said and disappeared into the opening.

Wesker followed immediately and after brief hesitation, Krauser went too. Chris hung back and motioned for Eva to go on and then for Steve to go but the pilot shook his head.

"Nah, I got the back," he told Chris, trying to sound tough but his voice shook, giving away his fear.

He felt bad for the guy but they were running out of time. They had to get out of there. Chris hurried through the opening with Steve right behind him. The female in the red dress sprinted down several halls with the others following and Chris felt pretty sure the reapers had chosen not to follow which was of great relief to him. He hated those freaky monsters. Another turn into a hallway and finally he could see the elevator was straight down the hall from them. They had made it. They were all going to get out of there okay.

Chris's hopes of that were crushed mere milliseconds after he thought them. An angered cry echoed through the hallway and from the ceiling panel, a reaper came crashing down on it from the ceiling above. The large piece of plaster hit him, landing on his back and head. He fell to the ground and heard someone screaming from behind him. Steve!

He struggled to get out from under the heavy piece of ceiling and felt a warm liquid running down the side of his head. He ignored it and climbed to his feet after getting out from under the pile of plaster. He spun around and saw a horrible sight. A reaper was standing in front of Steve, who was holding the creature's upper limbs to keep them from getting him, but it did little to prevent the monster's other appendages from attacking. The two free limbs began to stab again and again into the pilot's sides and blood began to pour out like a fountain.

With an angry cry, Chris began to fire at the creature but was quickly forced to turn his aim to a second reaper who leaped down from the hole in the ceiling.

After putting down the newly arrived reaper, the former BSAA member turned back to help Steve and was in time to see that the pilot's arms were now hanging limply at his sides and he was no longer fighting back. Too much blood had been lost and Chris was aware of that somewhere in his mind but he paid it no attention. He kept remembering how he'd promised himself that he'd look after this guy and that was what he was going to do. He fired at the creature until it backed away, releasing Steve. The pilot crumpled to the floor in an expanding pool of blood, twisting sporadically. He tried to run to him but stopped when someone grabbed his arm.

"You can't save everyone!" Eva exclaimed with enormous concern in her eyes.

It was obvious she wanted him to go with her but he couldn't... He wouldn't leave a man behind.

"I can try," he retorted to the girl.

Chris started towards Steve even as a second reaper dropped down from the ceiling to join the other one which was already healing and recovering. Again he didn't get very far because someone grabbed his arm. But this time the grip was tighter and actually hurt quite a bit.

"Not this time, Chris. We must go." Wesker's cool and collected voice reached his ears.

He tried to shake the other man's grip off of him. "Let go. Let go!"

Wesker locked an arm around Chris's chest and twisted his gun arm behind his back, dragging him down the hall to the elevator where the others were waiting. He fought to free himself, not even caring that he was acting insanely irritational as he ranted and raved to be let go.

"Get off me! I can save him!" he screamed furiously as he tried to break free so he could retrieve Steve.

"He's covered in blood, his stomach torn to shreds!" Krauser yelled over to him. "He's dying, his mind probably can't even process what's going on any longer. He's a dead man. Leave him!"

Chris knew they were right but he didn't want them to be so he stubbornly refused to believe what they were telling him. "No! Let go! I can't, no..."

Fed up with this, Krauser stepped out into the hallway and assisted Wesker with dragging him into the elevator. The two held him in place until the doors closed and as soon as they did, Chris went limp and stopped fighting. In the elevator, the computerized female voice blared loudly from the speakers.

"The self-destruct sequence has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated," the woman's voice cut off abruptly and then continued. "Detonation in 60..59...58...57..."

The computerized voice continued the countdown but Chris barely heard her. All he could think of was how he had failed to save someone he'd promised to look out for. It seemed he could never win and never catch a break. His life was an endless cycle of death and he was going to be forced to keep on living while everyone around him died. Krauser must have noticed his gloomy demeanor because the scarred man said something to him quietly so that only he could hear.

"Dead is dead, Chris." Krauser said to him, but more gently this time.

"No... I have to save him..." he murmured, realizing he was beginning to feel rather faint.

Darkness began to ebb at the edges of his vision and he became more aware of the blood trailing down the side of his head. The last thing he remembered was grabbing Wesker's coat collar with his fist for support and then falling against the man after his legs failed to hold him up any longer, the darkness finally taking him.


	9. No Trust

Chapter 8

-No Trust-

The sounds of explosions brought him from his passed out slumber. He couldn't have been unconscious longer than a minute or so because he was lying on the grass next to the helicopter while the Umbrella facility exploded off in the near distance. The self-destruct system had taken effect fairly recently.

Chris sat up quickly and instantly regretted it when his vision blurred for a brief moment and an enormous headache came on. Shaking off the disorientation, he pulled himself off of the ground and turned to watch the Nevada facility ablaze.

He found that he no longer felt any anger. Instead he simply felt sad and tired but mostly tired. He was exhausted both physically and mentally. The former BSAA member didn't have the energy to express his emotions any more so instead he remained unusually calm. Their mission had failed miserably and Chris didn't even care. They'd failed to retrieve any useful data, and any evidence of Umbrella's continued existence had quite literally gone up in flames.

"Chris! Are you okay?" Eva asked him, her face very anxious as she hurried over to him.

The blonde haired girl placed a hand to the side of his head. She ran a finger against the gash on his forehead. Her finger barely touched the cut but he flinched away when it still stung at the light contact. Eva's anxiety for his well-being appeared to multiply ten-fold.

"How's your head?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," he muttered.

"You're Chris?" a woman's voice inquired of him.

He peered past Eva to see the woman in the red dress walking over to them. The woman now had her gun holstered and the hookshot hung loosely in her left hand. She stopped beside Eva and tilted her head thoughtfully towards him.

"Chris Redfield?"

Chris eyed the woman carefully. "That's right..."

He let the reply trail off so that she knew he wanted to know why she was asking. It was surprising when the woman in red held out her right hand for him to shake.

"My name's Ada, Ada Wong, and it is truly an honor to meet you. I have heard quite a bit about you and I mean it when I say it's an honor."

Still a bit surprised, he slowly extended his own hand and shook hers lightly before letting his arm fall back to his side. The woman lowered her hand as well and smiled softly at him. Putting the pieces together, Chris remembered why he felt he should know this woman.

"Kennedy... You helped him out on his mission in Europe about five years ago. You were working with Krauser so you must have been in Wesker's employ as well."

"I know Leon. But I wouldn't put my employment with Wesker in those terms exactly." Ada said slyly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "I wasn't the most loyal agent of his."

Krauser made a noise of discontentment at the female's words. "I doubt you've been loyal to anyone in your life. You look out for number one and that's all there is to it."

Ada smiled slightly but said nothing to address his accusation. Instead she turned her eyes back to Chris. "We'd better be on our way then, hm?"

"We?"

Was this woman he'd just met implying that she was going with them? Chris didn't understand how he continued to come into contact with the least trustworthy of companions.

This woman had helped Leon Kennedy in Europe, yes. But she hadn't hesitated in ensuring the completion of her mission by taking a sample of Las Plagas from Leon at gunpoint either. Wesker, Krauser, this Ada Wong... Chris didn't dare trust any of them but how long could he keep that up? A team needed to trust one another but there was no trust here. Except for Eva, Chris didn't feel safe around any of the others.

Instead of answering, Ada strode by him and got into the back of the helicopter. She sat down on one of the seats and looked expectantly at Chris. He was at a loss for words at the woman's straightforwardness and wasn't sure how to react. Glancing over to where Wesker and Krauser were standing, he tried to get a read on what they thought.

It was impossible to read Wesker's feelings with him constantly wearing those dark sunglasses and Krauser appeared to be disgruntled as usual, so neither were any help to him. Eva wasn't much help either because Chris found the teenager was fixing the woman in red with a look of utmost loathing. Since none of them were going to be of any use here, he made up his mind to let her come along. For now he had the feeling she didn't mean them any harm.

Chris headed over to the aircraft and started to climb into the back as well but then Eva came over and asked him a question with obvious discomfort. "You know how to pilot a helicopter, right?"

The former BSAA member froze and he distinctly felt Eva stiffening uncomfortably. The comment had definitely had the effect she'd feared it would have on him. Chris was remembering that their pilot was dead, and right there, Steve's death replayed in his head. He made himself get his act together and hopped back out of the chopper, getting in on the pilot's side. He started setting the controls and observed Wesker and Krauser talking in low voices outside the aircraft.

A wave of anger crashed through him for no reason but he forced himself to remain calm and collected. After another minute the two inhuman beings joined the rest of them in the chopper and another few moments later, Chris piloted the helicopter up and away from the grassy field. The Umbrella facility continued to burn below them and in the blackness of night, the fire could be seen clearly until they'd gone far enough for it to no longer be possible to see.

As Chris took them back to Colorado, his mind was filled with thoughts about the mission. Where could they go from here? Their mission had failed and they were leaving Nevada empty handed. Steve's death had been for nothing. Well..perhaps not nothing. Their visit had caused Umbrella to destroy their own facility to prevent them from getting any information, which meant the corporation had something they definitely didn't want Chris and the others to see.

But what? They were nowhere near knowing the answer and now they were at a dead end on top of that. There were no more leads to follow. Once again they were left with trying to figure out what move to make next. They were stuck once again with no information to follow. But wait, that wasn't exactly true. A lead had walked right into Chris's very own apartment. Melody. She has to know something. She's one of Umbrella's creations. Chris realized, thinking to himself. The somewhat odd woman was actually the only creation of Umbrella's he had ever met that hadn't tried to kill him.

Give it time, Chris. I'm sure she'll try to murder you sooner or later, every creation of Umbrella's always does. Like it or not, Melody is still a product of Umbrella and they have murder imprinted into their very genes. Sooner or later, she's going to be the death of you Chris Redfield...


	10. Incomplete

Chapter 9

-Incomplete-

This world was a strange place. People drove their odd, roaring mechanical machines to get to places only a mile or two away from where they'd originally been. The small Colorado town wasn't all that big and every building in it was easily within walking distance. Those without the four wheeled machines weren't acting any more sensibly. They were walking around the town on their own two feet but appeared to have no particular destination in mind. They were aimless, without direction, like she was.

Instead they moved around from shop to shop or street to street and did little else. These humans seemed to be here for no reason so what was it that gave them purpose? What made them bother getting up in the morning? What inspired them to go about their daily routines or tasks?

These were the things Melody pondered on as she observed various humans doing what was seemingly considered normal. Standing there on the street corner she wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She'd been standing in that exact spot for over three hours without much movement and wasn't the least bit bored with it.

In fact, people were rather fascinating to her and Melody wouldn't mind watching these humans for days. Ever since she'd escaped from the place the blue suited man had been keeping her, this is what she'd been doing. The pale woman watched and learned so that she could better play the part of a normal person. She desperately wanted to be like everyone else. To the young woman, it felt like it was the only way she would ever be whole and complete.

Learning to be like everyone else was all that she could do for herself. She would never actually be like one of them. Especially since she'd only been alive for ten months and yet had grown into a woman in her mid-20's within a few days before completely ceasing to age after that. Either she would never age again, or it was simply progressing much more slowly now.

Melody had been asleep in her cryotank the entire length of her aging process in those few days, but the blue suited man had shown her the recordings so she knew it was all true. She'd been born in a test tube from the cells of her father. Seemingly there was something in her father that the blue suited man desired to replicate in another being such as Melody herself, something capable of wielding the terrible machine he had shown her.

She fixed her icy blue eyes up at the clear night sky and closed them as a cool breeze blew her hair back from her face. Melody truly felt that being free to roam about in this world was the answer to her incomplete self. She would never tire of the feeling of freedom she got whenever she looked up at the sky. She was very strong in her feelings that she never wanted to be in a laboratory again. A shudder ran through her body and the woman wasn't quite sure whether it was from the chilly night air or the memories of all those tests they'd run on her in their labs. It was probably both.

A middle-aged couple in perhaps their early to late 40's came strolling down the street, arm in arm. The man spoke in a hushed voice to the woman clutching his arm and she started to laugh. Melody had tried laughing before. She'd practiced it over and over until she was able to force one convincingly whenever she needed to. The pale woman couldn't comprehend what laughter was exactly, but humans seemed to do it quite often. And they apparently enjoyed this laughing thing tremendously. Why else would they do it so often?

The pair was walking in the direction she was standing and the woman must have felt Melody's stare because she jerked her head up and the laughter died in her throat. The two females stared into one another's eyes and it was the other woman who broke the contact first. She pulled her companion's arm harshly and whispered something. The man lifted his eyes in confusion to look at Melody and then both of them were retreating the way they had come, away from her. Melody knew why they were acting that way. Her eyes were a very strange blue color that practically glowed in the dark.

She paused to look into a store window that was displaying various types of sunglasses, hats, and shoes. An unhappy expression flickered across her face. No, her eyes weren't almost glowing. They were glowing. No wonder the couple had run away from her. She felt the fear and anger of being different building up inside of her and before she even realized what she was doing, her hand smashed through the glass to pull out a pair of dark sunglasses.

Melody put them on quickly to conceal her eyes and then moved rapidly away from the store in case someone had seen her break the glass. She noticed her right hand was bleeding slightly but she ignored it and hurried into a nearby building to stay under the radar for a while. People did not like when their things were broken.

It didn't take long to see she'd made her way into a dimly lit bar. She'd seen places like this in other towns and cities she'd passed through. She had discovered that a bar was a place where people paid for drinks so they could sit there in silence or be quite loud and talkative. Melody had observed that whenever a person consumed these drinks in large quantities, their ability to rationalize seemed to dissipate and they would say the first thing that came into their minds no matter how random or rude. Not wanting to be disturbed, she took a seat at a booth in the back and snatched up a napkin which she held around her cut hand.

She sat there listening to the quiet which filled the entire room. It was rather early in the evening yet and she would have to wait for others to slowly trail in as they got off of work or set out to relax. She felt it rather odd that instead of living her own life, she chose to watch and observe others live theirs. Melody supposed it was because there was no reason for her to try and live a normal life. She was far from normal. Most people didn't need to wear sunglasses to hide eyes that glowed a blue color in the dark.

Her thoughts went to the blonde haired man dressed completely in black she'd met earlier that day. Wesker was his name. This Wesker had been wearing sunglasses even though it was daytime. She'd sensed there was something not quite human about all three of the people she had come into contact with that morning but especially with this Wesker. He had the scent of a tyrant like the ones she had seen in the lab she'd been kept in. Maybe he was hiding something from behind those sunglasses just as Melody was forced to do.

A young waitress came over to her with an empty tray in one hand, smiling kindly. "Can I get you anything?"

Melody glanced at her and then shook her head. "No... Thank you."

She'd noticed people often said thank you to others a lot so she hoped she was using the phrase properly. Apparently she was or the woman didn't bother saying anything to correct her. The door opened and two men walked in and sat down at one of the corner tables diagonal from where she sat. The waitress hurried over to see if they wanted anything.

Melody glanced their way but gave them little more attention as her eyes shifted to watch the bartender moving back and forth behind the counter, preparing drinks for the only two people who sat at the bar. The man glanced at his watch and then at the door. He did this several times and when it seemed whatever he was expecting wasn't going to happen, he sighed and turned back to his customers.

One of them got up from their stool and tossed some money on the counter before exiting the building with a small wave to the man behind the counter. As the man passed through the door to leave, a younger man jostled his way into the building.

"Sorry I'm late, Sal. Traffic was a bitch," the young man said with a grin, to show he was joking around.

A clear lie, yet told in a certain manner, made it acceptable. A joke. To be funny. Sarcastic. Sardonic. Melody told herself she should spend more time reading the small dictionary she carried around with her. There was so much that just didn't make sense to her.

The older bartender did not seem the least bit amused. "Traffic? In this town? Don't even try this funny business. I got a wife and kids to get home to, Scott. The least you can do is show up for work on time every night."

Sal was his name? Come to think of it, the electronic sign above the door read: Sal's bar. So the older bartender with the graying brown hair must also be the owner, Melody realized. It wasn't the most amazing thing in the world but to her, it came close. She didn't have much so why not be entertained by these two interacting with each other.

The pale woman was to be disappointed though. The employee, Scott, removed his jacket and went behind the counter to get to work while Sal put on his jacket. After fixing his younger employee with a firm glare, he headed out of the building to get home.

Melody glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only a little after ten o'clock. She didn't know whether she wanted to go back to Eva's apartment yet or remain in the bar for a while longer. She knew Eva and the others wouldn't be home until tomorrow so there was no reason to rush back. Even if they had been there, what would be the reason for going? She didn't know any of them well and it would only be more social awkwardness on her part.

She was a master at awkwardness. Melody didn't know how to act most of the time so she smiled when she knew it was proper to do so and kept silent and expressionless the rest of the time. It was a method that had proved successful thus far.

One of the men who'd come in only minutes after Melody, was staring at her. She self-consciously adjusted her sunglasses in case somehow her eyes could be seen by the man, and regarded him and the man he sat with in curiosity. They both wore jeans and dark jackets and one of them had a red baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. When he saw she had noticed his stare, the man looked away and started talking in a low voice to his friend wearing the baseball cap.

Shrugging it off, she took in the rest of the room once again. There was the bartender, Scott, the old rugged looking man seated at the bar, the two men in the corner, and the young waitress. Not much of an interesting group at the bar this time. Melody didn't let that bother her though. An uneventful evening could be nice. Sometimes when there was barely any excitement at all, those were the nice times.

Satisfied with this line of thinking, she made up her mind to head back to Eva's apartment, but then she noticed that now both men at the corner table were staring at her. She frowned. What was their problem? Don't they have anything better to do? She was not aware of the hypocrisy behind such a line of questioning on her part.

Seeing that she had spotted their staring, they both shifted their gazes away from her and back to one another. Melody began to feel as though her stomach was tying itself into knots. There was something not quite right about those two men but she couldn't place it. She swallowed hard and decided it was definitely time for her to go. The pallid woman got up from the table and started to walk across the room to the exit. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the men had gotten up, too, and one of them was walking rapidly towards her with his hand in his pocket.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face the red baseball cap wearing man who was approaching her and that's when she saw it. The man pulled a syringe from his pocket, trying to conceal it in his hand and continued forward to confront her before she could leave.

Melody felt herself panicking and she lifted a hand towards him, palm out. The man's air supply was immediately cut off and he gasped in surprised pain, stumbling back. His friend was running towards Melody now with a syringe in hand, and she lost it. With a cry of fury she screamed for them to stay away.

The man choking in front of her tried to get the air back in his lungs by slapping her across the face. The sunglasses fell from her face and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides, blue eyes glowing with cold hatred for the men trying to inject her with whatever was in those syringes. She knew who had sent these men and where they were from. Umbrella had found her.

Whether they wanted to kill her or capture her, she didn't know. And her thoughts didn't wait to be rational. Instead she remembered all of the horrible experimenting Umbrella had done on her and her mind flooded with nothing but hate. Her eyes were lit with a brilliant blue hue and she enjoyed watching as her two attackers dropped to their hands and knees as they lost the strength to stand. Melody watched as their faces turned from red to a sickly purple as they suffocated. Then one after the other they dropped onto their backs, dead.

Only when both men surrendered to their untimely demises and were dead on the ground before her did Melody begin to relax. Taking deep breaths she regained her calm and bent down to retrieve the sunglasses. The young woman placed them back on and then straightened herself. That was when she began to sense something was terribly wrong. She felt as though she was totally alone.

Melody glanced in the direction of the bar and her heart skipped a beat. The rough looking man who'd been drinking at the bar was slumped over the counter and the young bartender had disappeared. Searching the rest of the area, she discovered the waitress was nowhere to be seen either. Had they run out when she'd been killing those two men?

Melody approached the man on the stool and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sir? Are you all right?" she asked him because she needed confirmation that he was okay.

The man didn't move at all and so Melody tapped him even harder which caused him to slide off the stool. He crumpled to the floor and fell onto his side but it was easy enough to spot that his eyes were opened partially and he wasn't breathing. Oh God... What have I done? Melody asked herself, fearing the answer. Right then she got the suspicion that she knew where the bartender was. She didn't want to see what she knew was there so she took her time leaning over the counter.

Sure enough, the bartender, Scott, was lying on the floor. He was sprawled on his back with his eyes staring up at the ceiling wide-eyed, as if he couldn't believe what was happening to him. A few yards away, also slightly behind the counter, was the young waitress lying on her stomach. The tray had fallen from her hands and lay just out of reach. Her head was turned sideways, revealing her disbelieving eyes. They seemed frozen over with eternal confusion as though she couldn't understand what or why this had happened to her.

Melody began to back away from the bodies, horrified by what she had done. They were all dead. Not just the two men from Umbrella who had meant her harm, but the three innocent human beings as well. Their only crime was being in the same room as me. Melody thought to herself with bitter sadness. Three people dead because of her. She didn't belong in this world.

The icy blue-eyed girl wanted to live like a normal person in this beautiful world more than anything. But the blue suited man had been right. She wasn't normal and she didn't belong among the normal humans. Her rightful place was in a lab.

No! I'll never go back to that horrible lab. I hate it there. The experiments, the poor, unwilling victims of tests... It was wrong. This here, with Eva and Chris and Wesker. This is what's right. I can't leave, I just can't. The debate within Melody had been decided. She wasn't going to leave until she'd figured out this recurring dream with Eva and her friend Chris. She blocked out the accusing eyes of the innocent dead.

Taking care not to look at the bodies again, Melody hurried from the bar. On her way down the street she nearly plowed down an elderly couple. The woman looked at her with contempt.

"Hmph, kids these days."

She distinctly heard the woman begin to complain loudly as she ran past the couple.

"Think they can just run around and do whatever they want. Well I'll tell you, Edward, the world isn't what it used to be."

"Yes I know, Beth You're always telling me," the man with her muttered, clearly having heard her rant and rave about the youth of these days many times before.

But Melody didn't have time to enjoy their conversation with one another. She had three particular dead bodies on her mind that she couldn't shake. At least this showed she had a conscience though. Did that mean she was more human than she gave herself credit for? Melody wasn't sure and she didn't ponder on it but instead concentrated on getting away from that place. She was never going to be able to bring herself to go back there, not ever.

Her mind was already made up. She was going to go where she felt safe. At least a place that felt safe for the time being anyways. Melody ran quickly for Eva's apartment building. It was the only place she knew.


	11. Story of Her Life

Chapter 10

-Story of Her Life-

The red and blue lights of the two police cars parked outside clashed with the dim lighting of the bar. Detective Katherine Taylor was familiar with the sight of those flashing lights all too well. It came with the territory of being a police officer and yet it continued to bother her whenever she saw them. The flash of a police car's lights sitting outside of a building meant bad news. And in this case, it meant extremely bad news for five different victims, and most likely five different families.

The female detective sighed to herself. She hated cases like these. Especially a multiple homicide like this particular one where they didn't have the slightest clue as to how the victims could have died in such a way. It seemed almost as though all five people in the bar had simply stopped breathing and fallen over. The horror and pain within their eyes told Katherine that this hadn't happened quite so suddenly for them. They had felt themselves dying, had known what was going to happen to them, and they hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it. The look in their eyes made her feel in her heart that this was no accident, but in fact murder.

Katherine had been on the police force in this town for over ten years now and never even once had she seen a case like this one. In a town this small, the most they usually got were a couple of kids graffiting, or having to break up a fight every now and again. But five homicides in one night? A mass murder? Well that was enough to give her a gigantic migraine and a sick feeling in her stomach. No murders in this town in over twenty years and then while she and her partner are working there they get this?

When things seem they couldn't possibly get any better for me they get way, way worse. Story of my life...

She found herself staring down at the body of a young waitress lying on the floor near the bar area. Her name had been Molly Harper. The young Harper girl had only been nineteen and trying to work her way to an out-of-state college. She was the oldest in a family with five other siblings. Katherine knew the girl's mother and father pretty well, as the mother was a secretary over at the police station, and she knew the two parents would be absolutely devastated when they heard the news.

The detective was positively dreading the moment when she called the parents down to the hospital to identify their oldest child's body. There was no morgue in their modest sized town and so there was only the basement in the hospital to store the bodies in until the burials could be arranged.

She glanced over the notes she'd written in her pocket notebook. Her eyes read over the names of the victims. The second victim was a bartender named Scott Redd, a resident of their town since he was born. Katherine was very familiar with this bar and so she recognized him, as well as the regular customer, victim number three, John Rudinski, who came in there every evening to drink himself to oblivion.

The two lying near a fallen table and chair, however, she did not recognize. Victims number four and five Katherine wasn't familiar with at all and she was positive neither one of them were from around there. And of course because things were never simple in her life, the victims of whom were both male, weren't carrying identification of any kind.

She brushed a stray strand of dark brown hair out of her face that had escaped from her ponytail and lifted her gaze back to the crime scene around her. Stuffing the small notebook into the inner pocket of the auburn colored leather jacket she always wore, Katherine rubbed her hands on the sides of her blue jeans. The young woman wore similar pairs of jeans all the time as well so her appearance was pretty much the same every day. Anyone that knew her would know why. She didn't like change.

Her now deceased father had been a cop when she'd lived with him in San Francisco growing up, and she'd never known her mother. The bottom line was that she knew how to take care of herself. Moving to this small town in Colorado was the only change she'd ever made when she'd finally achieved police officer status at 23 years old. Ten years on and she even had the same partner since she first became a cop and eventual detective.

Speaking of partner... Where the heck is he? Katherine wondered to herself. She'd phoned him on the way over once she had gotten the call but there was still no sign of him. True it was his day off but he'd picked up when she'd called and he had told her he would come right away. A crime this big in a town this small meant every cop was working tonight. Of course, there are only nine of us in all and Scott and I are the only detectives stationed here...

"Detective Taylor," a gruff voice said from behind her.

Katherine turned around and found a police officer, Jerry, looking her way as he moved to open the front door.

"Detective Riesling just pulled up," the older officer informed her.

She nodded and waited until her partner and dear friend for over a decade came through the door. He wore a black t-shirt with blue jeans and his badge hung around his neck on a chain exactly as Katherine always wore hers. He greeted her with a tired smile and she suspected she'd woken him from sleep.

"Hey Scott, sorry to call you in on your day off. I just thought you might want to get in on the action." Katherine said in an apologetic tone.

"Oh? Is that all?" her partner asked her, arching an eyebrow as his brown eyes studied her face.

A smile broke out across Katherine's face. They knew each other too well. "Okay, okay, and I could use a second opinion on what you see here."

Scott flashed her a smile. "Glad to do it, you know that Kate."

Kate. He was the only one who called her by that name and he was the only one she let call her that. Katherine smiled to herself. She loved working with Scott. He was a great cop and an even greater partner. He'd only been on the force two years longer than her and at 23, he'd been a rookie in a police station in a city somewhere in the mountains until he'd transferred to this small town and became her first and lasting partner. She couldn't recall the name of the city though. She'd have to ask him about it sometime.

Her smile grew. The two partners knew each other so well that one almost always could predict what the other was thinking and together they solved nearly every case that crossed their desks.

"What? Why are you smiling at me like that?" Scott asked her, looking a little startled that she was smiling so widely in a room with five bodies lying around her.

Katherine inwardly scolded herself. Oh yeah... This is a crime scene. Five people murdered and you're sitting there crushing on your partner who has no idea how you really feel about him. Get your head in the game, Katherine! There isn't time for this childish behavior of yours. She shook her head as if to shake away the inappropriate thoughts.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something." Katherine told him and walked over to where he was standing by the bar stools.

"Did it have anything to do with me?" he asked her with a grin.

She rolled her eyes to shrug off the question but inside she was smiling at what he'd said. They knew each other like the back of their hands. Placing her hands on her hips to rest on the belt she wore to carry her handcuffs and 9mm handgun, she swept a hand in the general direction of the entire area containing the multiple bodies.

"So what do you think?"

Scott ran a hand through his short and slightly spiky brown hair as he took in the crime scene.

"The way they've fallen definitely rules out group suicide and not everyone was drinking or eating anything so that also rules out poison," her partner deduced and she nodded to show she agreed so far.

He let his tongue run across his teeth as he thoughtfully scanned the room again. A cute little quirk about him. Katherine thought to herself but forced herself not to smile outwardly this time. It was a serious situation and she needed to concentrate on what had happened to these poor people. Scott's gaze paused on the two unidentified male victims lying near the center of the room before returning to her.

"This is a tough one. There are no obvious signs as to how these people died. We'll have to wait to see the coroner's report." Scott determined, his expression grim. "Who called the police to report this?"

Katherine let a small smile slip. "I was waiting for you to ask."

The female detective let the smile drop, her demeanor completely professional as she motioned for Scott to follow her, and led the way outside. She walked around to the side of the building and this was where the elderly couple was seated on a bench, both appearing very anxious. Upon seeing the pair of detectives, the woman shot up from her seat while the man simply remained where he was sitting.

"Are we free to leave now, Detective Taylor? My husband's ankles aren't what they used to be and he needs to get home and rest," the woman told her, looking very timid.

"I told you before and I'll tell you again, Beth, I'm fine. It's you who is panicking and getting all hot and bothered, honey," the elderly man said sternly to his wife before he turned his attention to the pair of detectives. "I'm sorry, detectives. My wife has never seen a dead body before so seeing five of them has frightened her quite a bit."

Katherine frowned slightly, regarding the husband as she took her notebook out from her jacket. "Are you saying that you, yourself, have seen a dead body before tonight?"

The man nodded somberly. "I saw more than enough of my share of corpses during the war."

"Oh." Katherine uttered, a tad put off. "My apologies, I wasn't aware. Now Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, I just need you to review what you told me earlier so that my partner can hear, and then you are both free to go."

The old woman seemed very eager at these words and nodded once. "Fine, fine. What do you need to know?"

Katherine glanced down at her notes and then returned her gaze to the couple. "You said that you were on your usual evening walk to the bar to get your iced tea when a woman ran past you?"

The older woman nodded vigorously this time. "That's right, she nearly knocked me and Edward right over she was going so fast!"

"Beth you're exaggerating again..." Edward started but Beth was not going to hear anything he had to say.

"I knew there was something funny about that girl. I could tell she was up to some kind of mischief! I just had no idea how terrible..." the elderly woman trailed off.

"And your description of the woman?"

The gray-haired woman was only too happy to answer. "She was a very pale young woman and her hair was a very light blonde, almost white. She looked to be around 30 and she was wearing these dark sunglasses that just made her look like the criminal she is. Oh and the clothes! The oddest combination of clothing I ever did see. You know what I think? Maybe she's in a cult or something. Did you ever think of that? This could have been some kind of ritual. I'll bet that's it and you know what else-"

Her husband, Edward, cut in before his wife could keep going with her wild theories. "I never saw the woman before tonight and I know practically everyone in this town. She's definitely not from around here but I saw her running in the direction of Jason Grunnin's apartment building so I'll stake my money that she's staying in one of those rooms. He could probably help you find which apartment she's in."

"Thank you very much for your time. If you think of anything else, don't hesitate to call the station, and if we have any more questions I'll give you a call personally." Scott told the old couple.

The elderly woman glanced at each of them in turn. "So are you going to go arrest her? Lock that horrible murderer up? Five people... Hmm... Such a tragedy. And I saw young Molly Harper in there... The poor girl..and her parents..."

"There's no evidence yet suggesting that this woman you saw committed these murders so don't go around spreading rumors now, Mrs. Johnston." Scott warned her.

"Yeah, yeah," the woman muttered, appearing indignant that her theory of the cult murdering woman wasn't being taken too seriously. She pushed her way rather rudely through the detectives, heading into the street.

Her husband followed behind her, giving the two a quick apology before hurrying to catch up with his wife. Katherine exchanged looks with Scott.

"What do you think? Should we go check out the apartment building?"

Her partner licked his teeth as he glanced at his watch. "It's getting late, Kate. We should finish up at this crime scene and then we'll head over there first thing in the morning."

"What if she flees town by then?" Katherine asked with a frown, wondering why he didn't want to check out this lead right away.

Scott ran his tongue once more along his teeth and then looked her straight in the eye.

"Chances are if she's our murderer, she thinks she got away with it. I doubt she remembers that couple seeing her fleeing the bar either if her mind was on the crime she'd just committed," he pointed out to her. "Besides, don't you think we should find out how exactly those people were killed before we go around questioning people?"

What he said made perfect sense and Katherine realized she was jumping the gun now, just like Mrs. Johnston had been doing when they'd questioned her.

"Okay, first thing tomorrow morning then. Let's release the bodies to the coroner so he can get to work on the autopsies. We're going to need to let Sal open his bar up for business by tomorrow anyway. He's going to be devastated when he hears what happened but he can't afford to stay closed even a day." Katherine decided.

Remembering something, she turned to Scott. "Come on, there was a particular bag of evidence you need to see. A napkin stained with blood. None of our deceased have any cuts or abrasions so maybe it belongs to our mysterious suspect that fled the scene."

As she had hoped, her partner appeared intrigued by this information. "Blood? Now that's something we can definitely get some DNA out of," he stated cheerfully. "I love it when the bad guys make mistakes."

When Chris, Eva, and Wesker got back to their apartment, the first thing Chris observed was how dark it was. It was still night and so the apartment was pitch black with the lights off. Melody was supposed to be there waiting for them but all of the lights were off which meant she had probably left to go somewhere. But where could she go? She didn't know anyone there. Could she have left town without a word to any of them? Chris felt his stomach flutter as panic began to build inside of him. She was their only lead and if she was gone then they had nothing more to go on in their investigation of Umbrella.

Chris was in front of the other two and he stepped into the apartment and flicked the switch. Nothing happened. What the... Why was the power out? He wondered to himself. The lights downstairs were working but the ones in their apartment weren't? Not a good sign that was for sure. He started to make his way into the sitting room, stumbling in the darkness as he went, and watched as a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared and stared straight at him from somewhere near the center of the room.

Wesker stepped in front of both Eva and Chris and stared at the eyes that were watching them. He recalled Wesker's virus came with a packaged deal. Superhuman speed, strength, healing, and sight. Excellent sight even in the darkest of rooms it seemed. Though he was still wearing those damn sunglasses and that had to darken things a bit for him...

"What are you doing, Melody? Why did you take all of the light bulbs out of their rightful places in the apartment?" Wesker asked her coolly. He didn't appear pleased in the slightest with her actions.

The glowing blue eyes continued to stare and Chris pulled out the flashlight he had intended to use on their mission where needed and flipped it on. He pointed it in the direction of the glowing eyes and sure enough, there was Melody. She flinched away from the light as it hit her eyes but then adjusted to it and stared at the three of them once more.

"I cannot stand the light. I deserve to be trapped in the dark..forever," she said to them, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What are you talking about, Melody?" Eva asked softly. "Nobody deserves that."

"I do not belong in this world," she whispered to them. "I am not even supposed to exist. I hate Umbrella for creating me. I am..I am..."

"A freak?" Eva inquired flatly.

The woman sounded thoughtful. "A freak...? Yes, that is what I am."

"Well join the club, Melody." Eva commented, crossing her arms loosely. "Everyone in this room is a freak of some kind. You can't let being different get to you. You just have to accept it and live with it."

He watched as Melody took in Eva's words and the pale blonde blinked slowly a few times. Then she stood up and moved her eyes towards each of them in turn, finally landing on Chris.

"I see. I am very tired..." Melody started.

Without a word, Wesker narrowed his eyes one last time at the oddly dressed woman before exiting the room. In the darkness of the apartment his leaving wouldn't have been noticed if not for the sound of his bedroom door shutting behind him. Chris glanced at Eva and then back at Melody.

"Right then... We'll just cross this off as a one time thing and get on with our lives, hm? Sound like a plan, Melody?" he asked her gently.

"Yes, okay," she replied but did not move from where she sat on the center of the floor.

Taking this as his cue to leave, Chris headed for his room which was through the kitchen and down the hall a little ways. He heard Eva's footsteps behind him and something came into his head that he just had to ask the young girl. He paused outside her bedroom and turned to face her as she came to a halt in front of him.

"Do you really believe what you said in there?" he asked her. "About just accepting that you're different and living with it?"

"Why do you ask?" she questioned.

"I hate when you answer with another question. Wesker does that too."

"Well Wesker is my dad," she retorted shortly.

He shook his head even though she could probably barely see him doing so in the blackness of the hall.

"Wesker always answers with another question when he wants to avoid answering," he pointed out. "You're not happy the way you are now, are you?"

"You seem to have all the answers already so why ask?" Eva said to him in a harsh whisper and then pushed past him, into her room.

Chris barely stepped back in time to avoid the door hitting him in the face as she shut it. Sighing tiredly, he retreated into his own room and sat down on the bed. The apartment was now completely silent and he again found himself sighing. He hated when people were right when he didn't want them to be, but Wesker was dead on with his earlier assumptions about Chris. Now that the BSAA was gone from his life he didn't know what to do any more.

He missed his old life and he missed his sister. Claire was always the one to be there for him when no one else was but she wasn't supposed to know he was still alive. So no Claire and no way was he ever getting his old life back. That life was long gone and his future was unforeseeable.

Wesker and him had failed to discard the animosity between them and it remained there in the open, obvious to everyone around. And with Eva... Well with her, things just seemed to get confusing and clouded. The seventeen-year-old girl was far too young to be falling in love with anyone, let alone a 35-year-old man like himself and yet she appeared steadfast in her endeavor to keep loving him despite the fact that he did not return her feelings.

Thinking about the blonde girl caused him to get a very strange feeling in the pit of his stomach but he couldn't quite place what it was. Things were never straightforward and they were never easy.

"Story of my life..." Chris muttered to himself.

There was one small thing in his life which he was in control of though. He rifled through one of the drawers of the desk in his bedroom as quietly as he could and pulled out a cell phone and battery. Chris placed the battery into the cell and dialed a number he knew by heart. Finally, something that came easily to him.


	12. Oh Yes, There Will be Blood...

Chapter 11

-Oh Yes, There Will be Blood-

"The three targets are still alive, sir. And they weren't alone. Two other men were with them in our Nevada facility and the female intruder also conversed with their group. We believe she may have joined their cause to destroy our corporation," the ramrod straight man in the black business suit informed Richard Murphy, president of the Umbrella Corporation.

Though the professional businessman and scientist appeared calm, inside he was seething with rage and frustration. There was only so much failure the company leader could tolerate. He wanted to hurt something badly but instead he straightened his blue tie which matched the dark blue dress suit he always wore, crisp and neat. Studying the surveillance monitors, he watched the infiltration of his facility in Nevada take place over and over. Without removing his gaze from the videotapes, he questioned his informant.

"Do we know what they were looking for?"

"No sir," the man told him. "But the female intruder got hold of a sample of the Type 2 Las Plagas before we could set off the self-destruct to prevent any such theft. We believe that theft was her original mission until she came across Redfield's team. Perhaps that was Redfield's mission as well?"

Murphy scoffed. "Most likely stolen to be sold to the highest bidder. No, Redfield and his team are out to destroy us. They would sooner destroy our creations and experiments rather than sell them. Their group isn't one seeking profit, merely their own misguided sense of justice."

He watched on one screen as Redfield and his team exited the elevator, making their way down the hallway. They reached a point where they came to a halt and waited as one of his scientists came waltzing right by their entire group without even noticing them. He'd had the idiot thrown into a cage full of lickers as soon as the evacuated employees had arrived at the North Carolina facility Murphy tended to reside at most of the time.

The scientist had lasted all of five seconds before the lickers tore him apart. Served the fool right for failing to notice trespassers standing no more than a few feet away from him. Murphy had quite enjoyed the agonizing screams the man had made before a long tongue had wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply and the screaming as well.

The president of Umbrella ran a hand through his gelled back dark hair, smoothing any stray strands back into place. He was getting far too old to be dealing with this kind of nonsense. He was only 46 but it was old enough to be feeling it. Murphy stared at the screen as Albert Wesker came into view. The man was a powerful force to be reckoned with and virtually impossible to kill, yet he had chosen to side against the corporation. The very corporation that he owed his unique abilities to.

Umbrella had given him everything and how had he returned the favor? He'd murdered the former president of Umbrella, Oswell E. Spencer. And while Murphy couldn't complain about the promotion he had long awaited, it infuriated him how ungrateful the survivor of the Wesker Children Project was towards the company that made him into practically a god.

Soon enough I will be a god. Murphy thought gleefully to himself. Melody is the key to activating my machine and once the Obliterator is fully functioning, this world will be mine. And along the way I shall find the secret to immortality so I can never die. Spencer let the only other survivor of the Wesker Project get away with a potential key to immortality, but I will not be so foolish as to let such work be done without my direct supervision. This world will become mine and I will guide it along its path in evolution. The weak shall perish and only the worthy will live in my new world.

These thoughts made Murphy feel much better and he found himself smiling as he viewed Wesker on the surveillance tapes from the Nevada facility. Of course, he couldn't have a being as strong as Wesker around to live in his new world. Especially now that the Umbrella creation had chosen to side with someone as dutiful as Chris Redfield, a good boy to the last. Murphy would never understand why a tyrant creature as powerful as Wesker was, would consciously choose to stand alongside someone as weak as a mere human soldier.

Perhaps it had something to do with his daughter's choice in sides. She'd chosen Redfield but would she really stay with him over her own father? Murphy pushed away the thoughts. It didn't matter. What did matter was that Albert Wesker had chosen to side with the ones opposing Umbrella which made him an enormous threat. Wesker may have been a great asset at one time but now he was a danger to Murphy's plans for the world. The only purpose the tyrant could possibly serve for him now was to die.

The president of Umbrella turned away from the screens to look at his associate. "Find where they are hiding out. Kill them all."

His associate didn't seem surprised by the orders but a bit confused. "Yes sir, but how? No one has been able to kill Wesker yet and his daughter can't die because of the virus, we ourselves, gave her when she was a child. If we kill her, she'll simply wake up again."

Murphy slammed a loose fist against the table angrily. "Find a way then! If you can't kill them then find a way to destroy them! What do we have a spy for if they aren't useful? Talk to the spy! They should be investigating these sighting of Melody anyway. Find a way and do it now!"

"Yes sir!" the man said to Murphy, slightly fearful.

He watched the other man hurry from the room without so much as a backwards glance at the President. He had a bunch of incompetents working for him and it drove him mad. But he wasn't going to let even that get to him. Not today. So he had lost a functioning facility, so what? It was only one out of dozens that remained. Of course, this reminded him of the new enemy rising into the picture. At first a mere annoyance, this new enemy was quickly becoming a sharp thorn in his side. Very systematically this unidentified organization had been wiping out fully-functioning Umbrella facilities left and right over the past few months.

With Melody at his side, he'd been able to prepare in time to avoid some of these assaults, but with her gone the company was left defenseless and in the dark. The organization was clearly searching for something in one of his facilities as they moved in a westward direction across the country and Murphy had the sneaking suspicion that he knew just what they were in search of. Him. They were after him. They somehow knew he resided in his facilities the majority of the time and were looking for him. But why?

Why were they after him so determinedly? Had he wronged one of them in some way? He didn't see how. He rarely left anyone alive to hold grudges. Murphy tried to push those negative thoughts to the back of his mind.

He felt he needn't worry about them for long. Not if his latest successful clone could be found. And if the clone was found, he had a feeling that very soon his priceless machine would be functioning. Two of his agents had been killed under mysterious circumstances in a small town bar in Colorado according to his spy there. He'd thought Spencer was crazy when the former president had sent one of their spies to work in a no name town like that but the senile man had been right after all. The placement of the spy had given them Melody's location and had been of benefit in other regards as well.

It had to be the ten-month-old creation of Umbrella's responsible for the deaths. The peculiar way in which his two agents had died left him with little doubt as to who had killed them. So very soon he would have Melody back and then the machine would be working and his path to world domination would be complete. Nothing could stand in his way once he had the Obliterator working. Especially since with it, those that opposed him would all soon be dead. He found himself smiling again as he thought of an old phrase. Oh yes, there will be blood... Indeed there will be...


	13. Confirmed Suspicions

Chapter 12

-Confirmed Suspicions-

Chris was leaving the bathroom after taking his usual shower like every morning but this time there was something unusual. Wesker was standing directly in front of the bathroom door with his arms folded against his chest, his face stern. Meanwhile, Chris had a tiny heart attack and nearly tripped over his own feet when he tried to come to a quick stop before he could walk into the other man.

He failed to stop in time and his face bumped into Wesker's chest with an audible smack. Wincing, he placed a hand over his already injured head from the earlier night's mission and grumbled about how the apartment was too small and he needed his space.

"Nonsense," was what Wesker had to say on the matter before quickly changing the topic. "I've been waiting for you. We need to talk."

"We do, do we?" he muttered, not actually listening to what Wesker had just said.

Chris glanced around to find the apartment very quiet. "Where's Eva?"

"Trying to learn why her new friend removed all of the light bulbs from their places the previous night and then proceeded to sit in darkness the entire night without sleeping." Wesker answered as he continued to stare. "They're in her room. So we have all the privacy we need for our talk. Come along now."

Before he could even ask what exactly Wesker needed to talk about, he found himself being dragged by the arm into the sitting room. Wesker threw him none-too-gently onto the sofa and Chris landed roughly on his behind. He straightened himself out and glanced to his right to see a lamp teetering dangerously close to the edge of the table. A lamp with blue flowers on it to be exact. The reaction Eva would have if he broke her replacement lamp for her old one was not something Chris desired to be privy to anytime soon.

He grabbed the lamp and made sure it was safely at the center of the small table as Wesker sat down beside him on the couch but on the opposite side. Both men seemed to have no interest in being near one another and yet here they were. He felt Wesker's eyes boring into him and felt his fears of the inhuman being coming back to him.

"I received your test results from the blood samples I acquired."

Chris forced himself to look straight at Wesker, into his eyes. Though technically he had no idea where the tyrant was actually looking since he wore those dark sunglasses of his. The test results? Was that what this was all about? He had a feeling it wasn't because Wesker wasn't the type to bother sitting someone down to tell them something like that.

When he received no comment from Chris as he seemed to have been expecting, Wesker continued.

"The results were positive as I expected and I'm sure you did too, ever since you resurrected three months ago in Africa. And that's not including your eyes. I can see specks of green in them, clear as day. The test was a mere formality, really..."

"I see." Chris said, since he wasn't sure what Wesker expected him to say to that.

Wesker's gaze must have adjusted behind his dark shades because when he next spoke, it was about the deep gash on Chris's forehead.

"The cut on your forehead appears to be healing as it would for a typical human which suggests your wounds only heal in death." Wesker observed. "That means you need to be careful. I know you have a taste for being reckless when it comes to saving others but that needs to stop. You may not be able to die but you can still get hurt and we don't need that now, do we?"

As if to prove that he wouldn't care if Chris got hurt, he added, "Eva wouldn't be happy at all if you got yourself injured so exercise caution on the next mission, hm?"

He chose not to say anything back to Wesker. His thoughts were on all the man had just told him. The former BSAA member had suspected for a long time that he was like Eva and couldn't stay dead. But he had always hoped that he was wrong and really was normal. He didn't want to live forever. What would he do if he lived forever?

If not for the fight against Umbrella, he would have nothing to do with himself. The world thought he was dead and it made things easier for him in a way. There were no questions he had to answer, no paperwork to fill out, no one to bother him about the choices he made. But then, there was the loneliness and irrational fear of death. Why was he so terrified of Wesker killing him if he couldn't even be killed? It didn't make any sense. Chris swore the blonde-haired man could practically read his thoughts because Wesker's next words caused him to stiffen visibly at their accurateness to his current line of thought.

"You can't be killed, Chris. Why are you so afraid of me?"

Suddenly Chris found the ceiling in the sitting room to be quite entrancing and he avoided Wesker's lingering gaze as he waited for an answer. That was a very good question. An excellent one actually and one that Chris didn't know the answer to. But an even better question was how Wesker had known about Chris's fear.

Seconds ticked by with him continuing to stare at the apparently fascinating ceiling but when it became clear Wesker wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, he forced himself to look back at the man who was now smirking. Anger flared up inside of him when he found the other man wearing his infamous smirk. Did he find this to be amusing?

"Eva was right. You do fear me."

Of course he did. Why wouldn't Wesker get some sort of sick pleasure out of watching him squirm?

"And she's right about the nightmares too." Wesker went on. "I often hear you tossing and turning at night but I didn't suspect these nightmares to center around myself."

Chris clenched his fists and gritted his teeth furiously. He had never wanted Wesker to find out about his nightmares and had never even suspected Eva had caught on to how he was feeling. But now that he thought about it, he felt pretty stupid for not figuring this out sooner. Of course Eva knew. The girl had fallen in love with Chris, was intelligent, and practically with him every waking moment. How could she not notice?

"You needn't be afraid of me, Chris. I'm not going to kill you..even if I could."

Slowly he glanced from his own lap to Wesker, back and forth until he could finally stare the tyrant in the face again. He couldn't understand why he would willingly say this to him. Chris figured the man would be delighted in knowing his nemesis was scared of him and had repetitive nightmares. But instead of basking in this small victory, he was having a serious talk about it with him? What was going on?

"Eva wanted me to talk to you about it. She was rather persistent until I agreed to do so." Wesker revealed.

Chris exhaled the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in. Ah...the universe makes sense once more. He felt a weight lift off of his shoulders that he hadn't even known was there all this time. Wesker wasn't going to kill him. He couldn't even if he wanted to since the Regenerative virus was now confirmed to be running through Chris's veins, making him immortal. Of all the things that he imagined might happen to him throughout his life, that one had never once occurred to him.

Why was it immortality seemed to come to those who never asked for it? To those who never wanted it? That was the way life seemed to go and Chris would never understand it. He didn't think there was a person out there who could.

Wesker cleared his throat, signaling that he wasn't finished yet even though he wanted to be. He must have sensed Chris's mind wandering.

"Now I don't like you, Chris," he began, clearly not desiring the next words to come out of his mouth. "But I don't want you dead either."

He stared, his mouth opening slightly. "Wow... Did you hurt yourself saying that, Wesker?"

A growl escaped thinned lips but Chris only laughed. He was feeling much better about the whole issue of being scared of Wesker, since the tyrant had as good as confirmed that he didn't mind being around Chris. Not as much as he wanted people to think at least. And that was how Eva and Melody found them. With Wesker looking like he really might want to throttle Chris after all, while Chris was grinning broadly. Placing her hands on her hips, the girl regarded him and her father.

"I see we had the talk, hm?" she asked them both, a knowing smile plastered across her face.

She met Chris's eyes and smiled warmly at him. He could tell she was glad he was feeling comfortable at last about his new living situation with the two Weskers. But then of course, Chris remembered how the younger Wesker was in love with him and was brought down to earth a little. Also recalling the odd behavior Melody had displayed the previous night, he dropped the grin and grew serious.

"Do we know what caused the..strange incident the other night?" Chris asked, directing the question towards Eva, but keeping his eyes on Melody.

The girl with green eyes shook her head. "No, we sat in silence for at least ten minutes before I finally gave up."

Melody kept her gaze from meeting any of theirs and remained quiet. It seemed she wasn't going to be explaining herself any time soon. A brief silence followed Eva's sentence and it probably would have lasted much longer if not for the knock at the door.

"Mr. Smith? This is the police. May we have a word with you? Mr. Smith?" a female voice called out from the other side of the door.

Chris's expression became grave and he immediately turned his attention to Wesker. He noticed Eva did the same thing. They both wore identical expressions towards Wesker, as if to say, 'what did you do now?' Wesker ignored their accusatory stares and directed a suspicious look toward Melody. He seemed to believe she was the cause of this unexpected visit by the police. The pounding at the door repeated.

"Mr. Smith? If you're there, please answer," the woman's voice called out again from the hall. "This is the police. We just have a few questions."

Even though it certainly wasn't the time, Chris couldn't help himself.

"Mr. Smith? That was the best you could come up with?"

Wesker stood from the sofa and walked over to the door. "This is a small town. No one cares what your name is, Chris."

"Yeah but still, even I could have come up with something a little more convincing..." he started but stopped in mid-sentence when Wesker opened the door.

"Mr. Smith?" the woman standing in the corridor asked.

Chris gave Eva a look that told her to stay out of sight and gave Melody an identical stare. The two took a few steps further into the room so they'd be hidden by the door but could still hear everything that was being said. When he was satisfied the two woman were out of sight, he approached the partially opened door but kept out of view from the police himself. If he could avoid talking to any authorities he would be glad to do so.

He heard Wesker confirm that he was indeed Mr. Smith and then a man's voice was heard. So there were at least two cops outside their apartment. What the heck had happened to warrant the police's attention on them?

"Mr. Smith, I'm Detective Taylor and this is my partner Detective Riesling," the woman said.

"Are you alone, Mr. Smith?" the man, Detective Riesling, asked Wesker. "I thought I heard another man's voice."

Wesker tilted his neck in Chris's direction and then snaked a hand out to grab hold of him. The tyrant pulled Chris into view of the hallway with a leather clad hand. Startled, he stared at the two plain-clothed police officers now staring directly at him. One of them was a man with short spiky brown hair, wearing blue jeans and a dark blue t-shirt. The other cop was a woman with dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and she wore similar blue jeans, a black shirt, and a reddish brown leather jacket. Both officers appeared to be around Chris's age, in their early to mid-30's, and both wore their badges on a chain around their necks. Chris became acutely aware that Wesker was talking again.

"This is my..friend. You just caught us getting out of bed." Wesker told them.

He frowned. That was an odd thing to say. Why bother lying about something already? They didn't even know why the police were at their apartment in the first place. The male detective's eyes flickered from Wesker to Chris and then to Chris's hair.

"If you just got out of bed, then why is your friend's hair wet?" Detective Riesling asked them.

Wesker's lips formed into a sly smile and he reached an arm out again, yanking Chris against his side, his arm resting across the younger man's shoulders.

"Well you see officers, we got out of bed this morning." Wesker explained to them. "And then we went back to bed to have some..quality time together if you know what I mean."

The two detectives exchanged looks with one another while Chris's face became three shades of red as he finally realized what the other man was implying.

"What? Uh..no! I..uh..." he stammered, trying to get out the words to explain that he was not in fact gay, least of all with Wesker.

"Aw... Don't be shy about it, honey." Wesker whispered softly to him and slapped him on the behind which caused Chris to jump in shock. He very nearly made a grab for his gun before remembering that it was still in his bedroom.

Very quickly his seething rage was beginning to win over his embarrassment as Wesker turned his attention back to the officers. "He's still in the closet." Wesker explained to them.

The detectives seemed to be feeling awkward about the situation and the woman cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Right, very well. Um, questions..right. We came here to ask about a certain woman."

The female detective appeared to finally be regaining her bearings and concentration and Chris realized Wesker had created the awkwardness in order to throw the officers off of their game. To perhaps cause them to lose focus and forget a few things. He looked briefly at Wesker, who still had his arm around his shoulders, and then back at the cops. Sheesh, it worked too. Chris thought to himself.

"A woman?" Wesker inquired.

"Yes, she's a suspect in a multiple homicide so it's vital that you think carefully about this before answering." Detective Taylor said to them as she pulled a small notebook from an inside pocket in her jacket.

"We have two witnesses who reported seeing a woman with nearly white blonde hair and dark sunglasses fleeing the scene of the crime. She is said to be in her mid to late 20's and most noticeably she was wearing mismatched clothing and is extremely pale."

"From what we've heard, this woman definitely stands out in a crowd," the male detective added.

Detective Taylor nodded in agreement. "Yes, and the landlord in this building claims he's seen a woman matching the description on this very floor."

"And that the only tenants he has who he doesn't know personally are you." Detective Riesling pointed out, his tone hinting at an accusation of some kind.

Before Wesker or Chris could deny knowing such a woman, Melody yanked the door open wider so the entire apartment was visible to the cops. The officers looked shocked by the sudden appearance of the very woman they were searching for and became even more flabbergasted when the pale woman motioned for them to come inside.

Wesker's eyes lit up with annoyance but he removed his arm from Chris and backed away from the doorway to make way for the detectives. Chris did the same and the officers cautiously entered the apartment.

Melody moved to stand by the window and Eva sat down on the sofa, inviting the police officers to sit down beside her. The female cop took her invitation with a polite smile but the man remained standing near his partner by the sofa. Chris took a seat in the armchair while Wesker stayed in the dining room, leaning against the frame of the doorway leading into the sitting room. As soon as everyone was situated in one way or another, Melody turned to face the pair of detectives.

"I did not kill those people," she told them bluntly. "I went to that bar and found them all dead and became frightened. It was wrong of me to leave but I was scared."

Detective Taylor frowned. "You fled the scene of a crime. That doesn't exactly scream innocence."

"I know. I am sorry but I did not know what else to do." Melody confessed, staring down at the floor. "My remaining there would not have brought them back to life. I am so sorry."

The woman detective didn't seem happy at all. She exchanged looks with her partner who said nothing and ran his tongue along his teeth a few times. Detective Taylor got to her feet and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Miss...?" the female officer began.

"Melody. My name is Melody," the pale woman told her.

"Melody, I'm going to be completely honest." Detective Taylor said to her. "This isn't looking good for you. We found a bloody napkin at the scene of the crime, which I'm guessing is going to match your blood judging by your bandaged hand."

Chris looked over at Melody and felt like smacking himself on the head. He hadn't even noticed her bandaged hand. None of them had if all of their expressions were any indication of that. Apparently none of them had bothered to look close enough at their new companion. Detective Taylor allowed them to soak in what she had said before continuing.

"The only reason you haven't been arrested yet is because we still can't determine what exactly was the method used to murder those people but I assure you," Detective Taylor paused for emphasis. "Once we discover what you used to kill them, we'll be coming back here for you and we'll have handcuffs with us."

The female cop started for the door. "Let's go Scott," she said to her partner and he followed her to the door.

Detective Riesling stared rather unfriendly like, in Melody's direction. "Don't leave town."

Both cops gave each of them, in turn, one last stare before exiting the apartment. Silence followed in the absence of the police officers and it was Eva who finally broke the quietness that had settled over the room.

"That went well," she said, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Three pairs of eyes shifted to look at her and none of them seemed to be the least bit amused by her comment.


	14. No Rest for the Wicked

Chapter 13

-No Rest for the Wicked-

Eva usually slept quite soundly at night but tonight was different. She couldn't seem to fall asleep and she continued to toss and turn as she struggled to find rest. Finally giving up on sleeping, she rolled over onto her back and stared thoughtfully up at the ceiling. There must be some sort of reason for her restlessness and maybe figuring it out would allow her to finally embrace the sleep she needed. It couldn't be the failed mission from the other night because it was something the three of them had come to prepare themselves for over time.

Failure was not an option but sometimes it happened anyway and all they could do then was keep going and make up for it the next time. One thing that was for certain, Eva wouldn't want to be Richard Murphy when Wesker got his hands on him. And though she didn't approve of cold-blooded murder and had always hated her father's murderous tendencies, this president of Umbrella was definitely one she wouldn't stop him from killing. The man was evil through and through and deserved such a fate. So the failed mission couldn't be why she wasn't sleeping but what else was there?

Was it the two detectives in their apartment that morning accusing Melody of being a murderer? Because getting the attention of the police was the last thing any of them needed right now. Especially with Umbrella now aware of the teeny tiny fact that she, Wesker, and Chris were very much alive and not dead like they'd been made to believe. No, that couldn't be it. The three of them had always known it would only be a matter of time before the large corporation with unlimited resources learned of their survival.

She flopped onto her side to stare out the window at the starry night sky. The presence of the police in their apartment couldn't be the problem. So maybe it was about whatever Melody wasn't telling them. As soon as the police had gone, Melody asked to be alone and then shut herself in the bathroom for practically the entire day.

Wesker had been prepared to break down the door in order to get answers and when Eva reminded her father that Melody could cause him to stop breathing as soon as the door was broken open, he merely retorted that he would snap the woman's neck before she could harm him. Chris had then proceeded to point out that he would never get any answers if he snapped her neck and killed her.

A big mistake on Chris's part since Wesker was already in a bad mood because of the surprise visit from the police. Eva smiled to herself when she remembered how fast the strong man had run out of the apartment when he saw how furious Wesker was at him. Chris was in no way to blame for anything that happened but he was definitely the perfect target for her father to release his frustrations upon if driven far enough to do so.

Hm..Chris... Eva listened to how his name sounded in her mind as she closed her eyes and imagined his face. Chris... Chris and Eva... Eva and Chris... She loved how his hair was kept short but sort of scruffy, and yet it still managed to make him look oh so cute. And how he always let his face go with a few days growth before shaving again, giving him a kind of ruggedly handsome appearance. He tended to wear firm fitting clothing which showed off his muscular body which Eva definitely wasn't going to complain about..and the green sprinkled into his brown eyes from the Regenerative virus only enhanced his good-looking appearance. Yep... Eva thought to herself with a smile. Good ol' Chris. Definitely easy on the eyes.

Eva's eyes snapped open. Oh crap. Was all she could think. She had now pinpointed precisely what was keeping her up tonight. Or rather who was keeping her awake. The teenager had completely fallen for the former BSAA agent and it was a problem, because even though Chris had yet to say it, she could see it. He didn't feel the same way for her. When she hugged him, he would just stand there stiffly. When she smiled at him, which was quite often, he would either fail to notice or just stare for a moment before looking away.

She felt a wave of sadness wash over herself. Eva didn't fall in love easy so she knew Chris was something special. Never cared to spend her time on any such concept as love. Now there was nothing she could do if he didn't love her back and the next step was moving on. How could she do that? She and Chris shared the same R-Virus. They both couldn't die, not truly, and neither were going to age any more. So what else could they do when they had that in common, but stay together?

Besides that, there was still the mission. For now her feelings were going to have to take a backseat because right now the mission to destroy Umbrella was her number one priority. When Umbrella was gone, then she'd worry about her love life issues.

Feeling much better and content with herself, she rolled over onto her other side to face the door. Only there wasn't just a door to be found. There in the flesh was the previously mentioned, and thoroughly thought over, Chris Redfield. He was peeking his head around the door's frame, as if afraid to enter her room.

Once he saw that she was awake and noticed him, he stepped completely inside. She instantly noticed he was fully dressed in one of his BSAA shirts, tan pants, and even had his thigh holster equipped with his gun on the right leg. She was out of her bed in the next second, completely awake and alert.

"What is it? What's going on?" she asked him, her tone all business.

The girl could see it in his eyes. Something was wrong. The former BSAA soldier glanced over his shoulder and Melody appeared beside him in the doorway. She was in the same outfit as always and seemed particularly nervous about something. Chris turned away from the pale blonde woman to give his attention back to Eva.

"Wesker found a listening device planted on the lamp in the living room. Your lamp, Eva." Chris told her in a low whisper. "He thinks that woman cop did it. Uhh..Detective Taylor. She was sitting on the couch right by the lamp this morning."

"What happened to the lamp? It was pretty with the blue flowers on it." Eva said, picturing the lamp in her mind. "Though the one you bought me only has blue flowers unlike my old one which had blue orchids on it. Blue orchids are my favorite flower. Such beautiful flowers and they symbolize beauty and strength. Did you know orchids are said to have healing power? I wonder if they could heal your wounds, Chris... You know, the ones inside of you."

What was wrong with her? Since when did she get all whimsical? She fought to focus as the man across from her took on a suitably impatient and questioning expression.

"Uh-the lamp's fine..I.." he uttered, exasperated by how much she was rambling on about flowers no doubt. "Um..Eva? Not the time to be talking about flowers!"

Her eyes flickered to him and then Melody. "You said my dad found the bug. Is there something else?"

"Uh, yeah!" Chris exclaimed incredulously.

"Fine," she muttered, her eyes darkening at his tone, but she was more embarrassed than anything else.

Chris seemed to remember he needed to whisper because his voice grew low and quiet as he filled her in on what was going on.

"Wesker believes Detective Taylor planted that listening device but he also believes she didn't do it for the police."

Eva caught on quick to what he was getting at.

"Umbrella..." she breathed, the name of the corporation barely audible inside the small bedroom but they all heard it.

"That's right and if they've been listening then we can't stay here. It's not safe." Chris said. "We need to leave the state as soon as you're dressed. Hurry! Take only what you need."

She nodded to show she understood and opened the drawer beside her bed. She withdrew her 9mm handgun and checked the clip to make sure it was loaded.

"This is all I need," she told them coolly.

No longer was she thinking about Chris or anyone else for that matter. She was a professional right now and she would remain so as long as necessary. Eva had learned from Wesker how to behave as such in serious situations and this was one of those situations. Chris and Melody disappeared from the doorway and she rushed to get dressed.

Her choice was pretty much the same as always. She put on black combat pants, her black boots, a belt to holster her weapon, and a form-fitting black shirt. She dressed the same every day just like her father tended to, especially when he was working. It was a habit she didn't care to change anytime soon.

Thinking back, she remembered it was a quirk that had annoyed her Aunt Natasha greatly. Natasha had tried to give her as normal a childhood as she could, but it was difficult when Eva advanced through the school system in less than half the time other children did. Growing up, she didn't have any friends and her dad came around only once a year typically. The other kids resented her for being as smart as she was, a genius, all the teachers raved.

And even though she would have given up her advanced mind for just one friend, no one cared to notice she was lonely. The instructors only wanted to see how fast she could learn and if she could become even more intelligent. But Natasha had made it all bearable by being her friend when nobody else would be. That's why the lamp had been so important and why blue orchids were so precious to her. The sight of them reminded her of Natasha and how she could be happy sometimes.

The woman had basically been a mother to her. She'd been too young to remember anything about her biological mother, who was murdered by Umbrella, and Wesker hadn't exactly been the model father with him always being gone on his constant exploits to seek a way to force evolution upon mankind and all that. Eva suspected most fathers didn't go about concocting plans to destroy the world. That wasn't including the point that her dad was responsible for dozens of deaths, some of them by his own hand, many lives, indirectly.

Eva shook the memories from her mind. It wasn't the time to reminisce on her childhood, or rather, lack of one. She was dressed and she had her gun holstered. She was ready to leave. This apartment had been just another chapter in her life. The three, no four now, would find a home somewhere else and make do. It didn't matter to her where they went, as long as she was with her father and Chris. They were all she needed.

The girl exited the room to find Melody and Chris standing in the sitting room. The room was dark except for her lamp which remained on. Wesker was leaving his bedroom when she came out of hers and they walked through the hallway together. When they joined the others in the sitting room, Wesker looked over at the lamp Chris had recently bought her.

"We can bring the lamp if you'd like?" he asked stiffly.

Her dad had never been good with sentimentality and he knew that was what the lamp was to her. So for him, bringing it up was an arduous task for him to do. But him bothering to do so brought a smile to her lips. Dads were dads and he was still hers. Oh yeah, they were good for each other that was for sure.

She started to reply when the sound of glass breaking downstairs drew everyone's attention to the hallway outside the apartment. There was only silence following the noise and Eva figured they must have heard one of the neighbors dropping a glass or something. She glanced at the digital clock on the table beside her lamp. But still, three in the morning? A little early, or late, for someone to be up and about dropping things.

Wesker motioned for them to remain still and listened carefully, his head cocked in the direction of the doorway.

"Men," he whispered after a moment. "I count three sets of footsteps and they're all carrying weapons."

Wesker's amazing hearing capabilities would never cease to astound her. Her father directed his next words to Chris. "My guess, this is Umbrella's paramilitary unit, Umbrella Special Forces Unit also known as USFU, and I'm betting they sent their best team so HUNK's probably leading them. We have to be very careful."

"Hunk?" Chris questioned inquisitively.

"HUNK with all caps." Eva answered for her father. "He's Umbrella's best soldier and has been the sole survivor on his team in many situations including Raccoon City. As for the USFU, these soldiers are recognized by their solid gray uniforms, protective vests, and gas masks to conceal their identities."

She saw Chris blink a few times as he listened to her rattling off facts about Umbrella's special forces like she were reading it from a textbook. Inside she smirked to herself. She had the feeling he often forgot she was Wesker's daughter and shared his high intelligence which came with an excellent memory. Trying to impress him even further while also remaining informative, she went on.

"The members of Umbrella's special forces are ex-military, highly trained, and not considered expendable. Their role is to retrieve certain items, protect Umbrella's assets, and destroy all evidence of viral outbreak which includes survivors." Remembering another fact, Eva added, "Oh, and they also handle assassinations."

The single lamp in the apartment went out suddenly and Eva saw the digital clock had shut off as well. The power was out in their building.

"Let me guess." Chris mumbled disconcertingly. "Tonight they're playing the role of assassins."

Wesker positioned himself behind the door leading out of their apartment. They were on the second story so this was the only point of entry for the soldiers to enter. Eva pulled out her gun and pointed it towards the doorway, waiting for it to be opened as the sound of heavy boots drew closer. The shattering of glass from the window behind where she stood caused her to immediately fall back to where her father stood near the door. A round object had been thrown through the glass and smoke was now billowing from it.

She heard Chris and Melody coughing as they ingested the gas just trying to breathe. The smoke was growing thicker and she could only make out the outlines of the two stumbling away from the window. She could see Chris helping the pale woman get out of the sitting room and into the kitchen where Eva and Wesker stood by the door. She heard him telling Melody to keep calm and relax, that they would get out of there okay and would make it away from Umbrella.

Eva felt like an idiot for forgetting what happened when Melody got upset. The oxygen would be sucked right out of the room and while that would take care of the soldiers, it would kill them all in the process as well.

The door to their apartment was kicked open and a man dressed just as she had described, with gray fatigues, a gas mask, and an assault rifle held at the ready, came charging in. The soldier was bent slightly with gun at eye level and the first person he saw was Eva. She watched as he aimed and fired. Except the careful shot went widely astray when Wesker's elbow smashed into the side of the soldier's head. Even though the guy wore a helmet which saved him from the brunt of the blow, Wesker's downward kick to the man's back with the heel of his boot put him down good. Clearly visible on the soldier's uniform were the bold lettering in white: USFU.

Umbrella wasn't even trying to hide that they still existed and were gunning for the three of them. Two more soldiers came running through the door and Chris took them both down with two perfect shots. He truly was an expert marksman, she observed with admiration.

"Eva, move!" Chris yelled when he saw her standing there looking at him.

She snapped back to the present situation. A second smoke grenade was thrown through the same window as the first and then two soldiers came crashing through the windows, one of them already broken while the other window shattered upon impact with the man's body.

As soon as the soldiers were inside, they didn't hesitate to open fire. Eva dropped to the floor, flat on her stomach, and peered through the smoke in search of the others. The smoke was too thick and she could only see the light of the rapid gunfire spraying all around the apartment. Bullets pierced the walls, the furniture, everything.

"Look out!"

One of the men shouted out in warning and she watched as a blur of motion moved behind the two shooters. She watched as Wesker took down the two men with ease, but already more footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Eva wasn't alone in her surprise when it was Wesker's old associate, Jack Krauser, who came running through the open door. Her and Chris's guns rose up to train on the intruder and even though she saw immediately who it was, they didn't lower their weapons until her father told them it was all right.

"I called Krauser as soon as I discovered Umbrella knew where we were. When I destroyed their listening device I knew they would launch an assault." Wesker told them as though it were old news.

Chris glared from Wesker to Krauser before grunting his disagreement with the situation. "You could have mentioned the tiny bit about an imminent assault a little earlier, don't you think?"

Eva had to agree with him there but Wesker ignored him and Krauser just smirked cockily. "What's the matter, Chris? Upset that I gotta come save your ass?"

"I don't need saving," he retorted, his teeth clenching as he stared at the other man with strong distaste.

"Sure you don't." Krauser said back and then motioned to them. "Let's go! There were four more outside but I took care of them. I've got a jeep waiting out front. Move!"

The muscular soldier didn't wait around to see if they followed and Eva allowed the others to leave before she did so, preferring to be last, but Wesker lingered. It seemed he didn't want her in the back. She rolled her eyes. He probably didn't think she would be okay if she was last. Without a word, she brushed past her father and hurried after the others. Wesker followed, only pausing to adjust his sunglasses.

When they got outside, she saw the jeep Krauser had mentioned parked in the center of the street a couple houses down. No one's lights were turning on from all of the racket and she figured they were probably too afraid to do so, fearing that unwanted attention would be brought upon them if they did. Typical people, hiding in their homes...

She started to follow the others as they made a run for the jeep but abruptly skidded to a halt. A thought had just occurred to her. There had been three men who'd come through the door of their apartment, two from the windows using the roof as their access point, and Krauser had taken out four waiting outside. That made nine soldiers in total. The teams tended to be made up of five members which meant there was still one soldier around somewhere. Three guesses who that soldier is.

Eva yelled for them to stop and luckily they did because merely a few seconds after, the jeep exploded and became a burning inferno. Had they been a couple seconds quicker, it would be them cooking in that blaze which had once been a car. A man emerged from the shadows, running away from them, down the street. Chris fired off several shots in the soldier's direction and HUNK dropped to the ground motionless.

The squeal of tires burning on pavement caused her to stiffen momentarily, thinking more soldiers had come to finish them off. But then a black Ford Explorer pulled up with all the windows rolled down so they could see who was driving. It was the woman in the red dress.

"Need a ride?" Ada Wong asked them, flashing a smile.


	15. Unfounded Theories of a Frantic Kind

Chapter 14

-Unfounded Theories of a Frantic Kind-

The dark quiet night was interrupted by flashing lights of the red and blue of police cruisers. Katherine released a tired sigh. Once again something had occurred to interrupt the generally peaceful nature of this small town. Her partner, Scott Riesling, stood beside her, peering up at the apartment building in front of them.

"Bad week," he commented, tongue trailing across his teeth habitually.

"Shitty week is what it is." Katherine revised.

Scott made a noise of agreement before moving for the front door of the apartment complex.

"Two visits in one day, highly suspicious," the male detective noted.

"You know," she started. "You're awfully calm for a situation with plenty of blood but no bodies to go with it."

Katherine followed him as they went inside the darkened apartment and walked towards the staircase. About halfway up the stairwell, she paused and shifted her gaze to the left side. The wooden railing was wet on part of it and a soft drip, drip, had drawn her attention. A dark liquid was dripping off the side of the railing.

She peeked over the side to get a full view of a rather large puddle of the same dark substance. When someone lost that much blood, there was no way they could just walk away. Yet, there was no body to be found anywhere near the blood.

"Katherine." Scott's voice called down to her from somewhere at the top of the stairs.

She continued the rest of the way to the next floor and found several more spots where there was plenty of blood but no bodies. Her partner stood at the other end of the hallway, partially inside one of the apartments. As she headed forward to join her partner, she noticed a part of the wall to her right, smeared with blood. For a brief moment she wondered what the other tenants living there might be thinking about all of this.

The first officer on the scene had seen to escorting all of the residents living there out of the building as quickly as possible. This had disturbed part of the crime scene but she knew it was for the best. People moved to this kind of town to get away from violence and danger. They didn't need to see any more of it than what they'd already witnessed tonight. This line of thinking brought her to another important thought.

Could this even be labeled a crime scene? There were no bodies, no visible victims. Surely with the amount of blood everywhere there had to have been bodies there at one point. So it could probably be labeled a crime scene, and yet, she felt uncertain. Without having done any tests on the crimson red liquid all over the place, for all she knew, it could be fake blood. No, it wasn't fake. The smell of copper hung thick in the air. The blood was very much real and she knew it. She didn't want to believe it though. How could so much go wrong in her town, under her watch?

The female detective quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She couldn't let the guilt get to her. Not when she had her job to do. Focused entirely on the crime scene around her now, she reached the entrance to the apartment Scott was waiting by. A wave of horrified realization flooded through her. This wasn't only the apartment building they had paid a visit to not so long ago. It was also the very same apartment.

Did the blood all over the place belong to the people living in that apartment? Had their suspect, this Melody woman, gone and murdered the ones who had given her shelter? Or maybe the people living there had been accomplices for the five murders in the bar and a fight had broken out between them.

Oh God... One of the people living there had been just a girl, maybe seventeen or eighteen at most. She stopped herself. Whoa. Slow down there, Katherine. Inventing a bunch of theories with no actual evidence of any kind is foolish. Calm down. Think rationally. No sense in letting panicked ideas get to you. Examine the scene, the evidence, and then come up with some plausible theories without jumping to conclusions. Worry about connections to other crimes later. Be a competent police detective. Get it together girl. Back in investigator mode, she explored the apartment with her partner close by.

To say the apartment was a mess was putting it gently. The place was a disaster zone. It looked as though a war had broken out in the small apartment. Katherine gave the door and its frame a once over. The frame near the lock was splintered, clearly a forced entry. Though that detail had been pretty obvious already since to gain entry to the apartment building itself, a glass pane in the window of the main door had been broken from the outside. Enough for an arm to reach in and unlock the door. She surveyed the room. Broken glass was scattered across the floor from broken windows, furniture was overturned, and there were pools of blood here and there.

A lamp caught the detective's eye and she almost had to smile. Out of all the destroyed furniture, walls, and floor, this lamp with a flower pattern on it was one of the few pieces to survive being broken. Something nice among so much bad and wrong. She realized her partner was talking to her and refocused on him. Scott was standing by one of the broken windows, staring out at the now silent night.

The officers outside had asked the gathered crowd to be on their way, and although reluctant, they had dispersed. The residents who lived in the apartment had either been put up in the motel a block away, or were staying with someone they knew in town who was willing to take them for a night or two.

"The power to the entire apartment building was cut about half past two this morning." Scott was saying to her. "A tenant living two doors down was watching television when the power went out. He gave the time to the first officer on the scene."

Katherine nodded her head once, as if to show she was indeed listening. He wasn't even looking at her so it didn't make much sense to do such a thing but she'd done it automatically. Her way of silently agreeing perhaps, that she'd practically expected to hear something along those lines. Whatever had happened in the apartment was unnatural to the things that usually occurred in their town.

The townspeople typically became weary whenever strangers came to visit or move to their town but now they were going to have a whole new reason to be suspicious of newcomers. The precinct was never going to hear the end of it. Can't really blame them. I'm starting to feel the same way.

"There are numerous holes in the wall." Scott pointed out as he moved away from the window, to the opposite wall.

"Looks like bullets made them." Katherine observed. Not liking the information they were uncovering very much at all.

He agreed with her. "Yeah, I'd say bullet holes too. Except, take a wild guess."

She peered more closely at one of the holes in the wall and saw what he had. "No bullets. Somebody was busy before we got here."

Scott fidgeted with the chain around his neck which held his badge. "Right. No bullets and no bodies. Somebody took the time to get rid of any damning evidence we might have been able to find. My guess is, they would have cleaned up the blood too if they'd had the time."

Katherine exhaled slowly as she mulled the theory over. "But who would be in our town doing something like that?" she asked Scott, even though it was really just to think out loud. "This feels like a planned attack. Whoever came here shut off the power, forced their way in, and they came with guns."

Her partner thought about that. She knew he was thinking hard because his head was cocked slightly to one side, his tongue rubbing against the teeth at the back of his mouth. It was the way he always stood when he was thinking very seriously.

"At first I was thinking our suspect for the bar murders, that blonde woman, might have been the perpetrator." Scott voiced the opinion. "But what if she was actually the target? Maybe these were cops with a warrant for her arrest."

She frowned slightly. "And they didn't inform our precinct about their arrival in town and the operation? I don't know..."

The idea didn't seem to fit into place well enough for her.

He shrugged. "I don't know either. Could have been FBI or something. Not the first time those people didn't bother filling in the local authorities on their activities."

That much of his theory was probably true but to Katherine it still rang hollow. He could tell she was unsatisfied.

"Gang related attack?" her partner suggested next.

Katherine hadn't even begun to jot notes down in her pocket notebook yet but already she could feel a migraine coming on. She lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes briefly. They were a long way from solving this case.

Detective Scott Riesling didn't like to let things bother him. He liked to think of himself as someone who could take care of anything that got in his way. This held especially true when it came to him and his job. He took the duty of police detective very seriously. In his line of work there was usually no room for error. In his job if he failed, people tended to get killed; Or disappointed if he couldn't bring relief in the form of justice for them, and sometimes that, was worse than the deaths. Cases like the one he was on now he hated the most. Cases where he didn't even know where to begin.

He was staring out one of the busted windows in the apartment where some sort of fight had obviously taken place. There was a completely charred mess of metal and rubber down on the street. The pile of smoldering ruin had once been a vehicle of some kind until an explosive had reduced it to flames and then ashes. The gunfire neighbors heard, had caused two calls to the police station. When the explosion had resounded for several blocks, that was when half a dozen calls were placed within a minute to get police on the scene immediately.

Good ol' citizens of Collarson. We can take a dozen gunshots without worry, but if there's a fire on the street, it's time for the police to come. Scott knew the people had probably just been too scared at first to call for help, but it still bothered him. Every second counted in the moment a crime was being committed. Small town like this, the response team was already a far slower arrival than it should be anywhere. A small part of him always wondered the same thing every time he came to a crime scene. What if someone had called the police sooner? Could something that had happened, possibly have been prevented?

There was no way to ever really know and no sense to be dwelling on it either. At least not now. He had a job to do and a case to solve. Two actually, since the multiple homicide at the bar had yet to be solved as well. He and Katherine passed around a variety of plausible theories for several minutes as they took in the entire crime scene. Ultimately, the two of them weren't getting anywhere.

"Okay, well for now, let's keep the crime at Sal's bar separate from whatever happened here." Katherine suggested, turning from the kitchen area to look at him.

Scott traced each individual tooth with his tongue as he thought over what he knew. The facts of whatever had taken place in the apartment building. There was a burned wreckage of a car across the street from the building which had either been destroyed before or after the perp or perpetrators forced their way inside. If the detective had to put his money on it, he'd say the car had gone up in flames during or after the chaos that had erupted inside.

Whoever had done the breaking and entering had taken great pains to move quietly, only breaking a single pane of glass on the front door to gain entry. So what were the two detectives looking at? Professional killers? Possibly a police assault? Undercover detectives? Unlikely. Perhaps the work of a SWAT team?

A SWAT team seemed a very likely option at this point, judging by the markings near the window and the way the glass was broken from the outside. Since there was no way to climb on the smooth brick surface of the outer apartment wall, it appeared possible other intruders grappled down from the roof and smashed through the windows to get in that way. But even though a SWAT team was a possible solution to the scene which lay before them, it didn't make a whole lot of sense.

He'd heard of lack of cooperation between officers from different police precincts but this was something rather extreme. The detective didn't think the scene before him and Katherine was the work of cops. It was a feeling Scott had and only a feeling. He would check with nearby precincts and let word out through the network that he was asking if any police involvement had been ordered in his town.

Scott doubted he would find anything by letting the word out. He and Katherine had to solve these cases themselves and they both knew it. He noticed his partner was watching him, studying his face as if to read what he was thinking.

"Kate? What's up?" he asked her, causing his partner to jerk her eyes away from him and back to her small notebook where she'd been scribbling down notes.

"Oh, uh..." she stammered awkwardly. She stopped herself, took a breath, and then waved her hand in the air by her head in a circular motion. "The smell, do you smell that?"

He gave her a brief frown of confusion before sniffing the air to see what she meant. "Well yeah, smoke. Figured that was from the car fire outside."

"I don't think it is." Katherine told him. "Yes, the windows are broken. But this is a room on the second floor and it's pretty strong to be from the wrecked car still."

He could see her point and took another look around the small apartment. The wall had been slightly stained by the amount of smoke that had been in the small area of the main room at one time during the night. He knew what his partner was probably getting at, but asked her anyway.

"What are you thinking?"

She put her thoughts and feeling out there bluntly. "A smoke grenade or two. This was a blatant attack on the people living here, Scott, and I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

"We don't know that. Not for sure."

"What? What do you mean?" she asked defensively.

He wandered into the kitchen area of the apartment and began searching drawers and cupboards before he answered her. "How do we know it was an attack? Maybe the people living here were criminals. Our homicide suspect was staying in this apartment with that young girl and those two men."

Katherine looked surprised by his refusal to accept her theory. She moved closer to stand by the kitchen counter as he carefully picked through one of the drawers with gloves on.

He'd known her long enough to see past her quiet stare when she'd put a hand on her hip, the other tapping her pen continuously against her side. She was irritated with him. He didn't understand why. He never really did. Sometimes he got the feeling her irritation had more to do with something else on her mind.

God help me ever figure out what a woman is thinking... At the moment, however, he could guess Katherine was thinking what he was doing was a waste of time. She was probably right about that too. Chances of them finding any tangible evidence to help them out were slim to none. The next drawer he searched through merely contained a couple pencils, a pen, some random blank scraps of paper... Hello.

What was this? One of the pieces of paper had something written on it. The writing was badly smeared, the number on it virtually unreadable. Only a two and an eight were visible. Perhaps a phone number for the name scribbled beneath it. Lucky for him, the name was legible.

"Hey Kate, this might brighten your day," he, picking up the piece of paper between two gloved fingers and holding it up for the other detective to see. "Do you have your laptop in the car? Let's see if C. Redfield means anything to us."


	16. Eternal Damnation

Chapter 15

-Eternal Damnation-

Darius Greene was on his way to North Carolina. He sat in the passenger seat of a black semi which was speeding down the highway followed closely by two other identical trucks. It was the middle of the night but his light blue eyes stared out the window anyway, into the darkness. Darius was a man of few words and he loved being in an environment of complete silence. Noises nearly drove him insane but noise was something a person had no choice but to deal with. And so deal with the noises he did.

When he had to, he immersed himself in the day to day sounds and sometimes more. However, when he had time to himself, he would sit in complete silence and darkness. The 39-year-old man was left to his own mind at those times and he thought about a lot of things. Mostly though, he thought about Umbrella. More specifically, of his hatred for the corporation.

Unable to stop it, Darius found himself overcome by a flashback. One that he had repeatedly and without signs of stopping, his entire life following that day.

It had happened twenty years ago. Even so, it felt like only yesterday when everything he had ever known, simply ceased to exist. He couldn't forget what had happened. The memory wouldn't let him. Darius had been 19 years old and away from his family, attending college. He was still adjusting to living somewhere his family wasn't and so he would come home for a weekend every so often.

It had been one of those weekends when his life was turned upside down. When everything had gone so wrong. Darius had come home and parked on the street in front of his house. Nothing had seemed off at first. Nothing out of the ordinary. But that was how it always started, wasn't it?

He got out of his car and went around to the trunk to retrieve his duffel bag. He never did get far enough to open his trunk. His eyes had caught sight of some sort of substance on the driveway, right by the front left tire of his mother's mini-van. At first he thought maybe the oil was leaking out of the vehicle so he had gone up the driveway to investigate. He certainly didn't want his mom out there driving an unsafe car. Darius had no way of knowing there was no longer anything threatening his mother's safety. The college student had no way to know his mother was already dead.

He made the discovery only seconds later. He approached the van with his eyes on the pool of black liquid by the driver's side door and the tire there. The door, he observed, was slightly ajar. Then bits of information hit him one after another. The liquid was red, not black. There was a quiet, muted sound of dripping as drops of the dark substance fell into the gathering puddle. The window of the driver's side door was down all the way but he had yet to lift his eyes up that far. Instead, he hooked two fingers on the door and tugged it open and there she was. His mother, clearly dead, her body slumped over the steering wheel.

He let out a strangled yelp and jumped back. Her white shirt was soaked in blood, possibly from a wound to her stomach which he couldn't see. A bullet had also pierced her dead on in the center of the forehead, as though someone had walked right up to the open window and pulled the trigger. Later on he figured that was exactly what had happened to her. He had only been a kid back then, a teenager, but he wasn't stupid. The keys were in the ignition. His mom had been trying to get away. From what? Or more likely, who? That was the question.

He didn't want to go into the house. He was afraid. But Darius also knew there was no other option. He had to. He needed to know if the rest of his family was safe or..like his mom. Before he went inside, he made a detour to the garage where his dad stored a shotgun. After loading the gun with shells and taking a few deep breaths to prepare himself for what he might find, he was ready. Darius went maybe three feet into the house before dropping to his knees and vomiting. His little brother, Caleb, was lying on his back covered in blood. He had been shot directly through the heart. The kid had only been four.

When he finally stopped throwing up, he lifted up the shotgun and forced himself to go upstairs next, to find the rest of his family. His sisters, Alicia and Blaire, thirteen and sixteen respectively, laid dead in the upstairs bathroom. The door frame was splintered apart. Someone probably kicked in the door to get to the two girls.

Darius felt the urge to vomit all over again but forced himself to remain as composed as possible. He didn't know for certain if the people who had done this were gone. He also had yet to locate his dad and other brother. There was no sign of his dad on the first or second floor and he knew where his father would be then. He went down into the basement.

His father was a scientist and used the basement for paperwork and a place of solitude to study his work. That was where his father was. Dead, like the rest. By the streaked blood across the hard floor, it appeared as though he'd dragged himself across it. Darius spotted what his dad had been trying to reach. A file lay within inches of his outstretched hand. He went over and picked up the file.

Whatever had once been inside of it was gone now, but the label remained. SKYE CHRISTOPHER GREENE. What the hell? He'd thought to himself, his thoughts becoming fractured. Why does dad have a file on Skye? Why did his dad have a file on his brother? His father was dead. Skye. He hadn't found Skye's body. Where was it and why couldn't he find it? Was Skye still alive somewhere? Where was he then? They took him. The idea had suddenly popped into his head.

He knew who had done all of this even before asking himself who would be capable of doing such a thing. Why else would a file be taken, labeled with his seven-year-old brother's name? It was the very same corporation his father had dedicated his scientific skills to. Umbrella. He had barely reached this conclusion when glass breaking caught his ear and a dull thud sounded on the floor above him.

Cautiously he lifted the double-barreled weapon and moved as quietly as he could up the stairs. He entered the hall from the basement and made his way into the front entryway where to his right, the living room was. Darius was careful not to look at his brother's body by the front door as he went past and to the right. A broken window in the living room told him this was the source of the sound and then his breath caught in his chest.

There was something laying on the carpeted floor. Round red sticks tied together and flashing digits blinked up at him as he walked over to get a better look. It was a bomb. The digits were on a timer, indicating how much time was left before it went off. The timer blinked at him with red numbers. Six-blink-five-blink. Wait-was that five as in five seconds? Four-blink.

Darius stopped thinking about it and ran for the front door only a few steps away. He managed to clear the porch steps before detonation. He was blown off his feet from the force of the explosion, and the front door came off its hinges, sailing after him. He flew onto his car, face smashing into the windshield. He instantly could feel his nose was broken and probably the arm he'd landed on too.

The front door to his house slammed into the side of his car and splinters of wood cut open his face. He screamed in agony and tumbled off the car to take cover behind it. There were a good few seconds as he adjusted to the pain his face was feeling, before he felt astonishing pain elsewhere. His entire left arm was on fire, literally.

Darius rolled around frantically until the fire was out and then got to his knees as dry heaves racked his body. Sirens pierced through the ringing that was going on in his head but they sounded quiet and so very far away. He was in agony but he got to his feet despite the pain. He had to go before the sirens reached him.

Umbrella couldn't find out he was alive or they would come back and finish him off. He proceeded to walk out of town as far as he could make it before finally collapsing. Darius woke in a hospital one town over and there he gave them a false name. Umbrella could never find out he was alive. At least, not yet.

He was drawn out of his flashback, or rather, his never ending nightmare which he was damned to endure forever, by a rather rough bump in the road. He caught the driver glancing his way but when the man saw Darius notice his gaze, the man jerked his eyes back onto the road. The driver was dressed in camouflaged pants and jacket. The colors of the outfit were shades of dark green and he was also equipped with a sidearm. He was a trained soldier and yet Darius could tell the man was afraid of him, just like the rest.

It could have been the extensive burns which covered the length of his left arm which scared Darius's soldiers. He traced the scar which extended from above his right eyebrow, across the bride of his nose, and all the way to the left side of his chin in a sort of jagged line. Or maybe the scar would be the more likely cause of such fear. He thought to himself. His disfigured face. A lasting present, courtesy of Umbrella Corporation.

Umbrella wasn't as ingenious as they liked to think. They tended to leave loose ends even when they did everything they could to get rid of all traces of their involvement in situations. Such as with Raccoon City. Those bastards had even sent their own soldiers into the city just to see how trained combat fighters did against the T-Virus.

Needless to say, their soldiers got killed. Umbrella had sent them into a city teeming with flesh-eating zombies and who knows what other monsters, under the guise that the soldiers were there to rescue citizens. Without knowing the situation they were walking into, the soldiers didn't stand a chance. And now, Umbrella had left another loose end in the form of Darius Greene, lone survivor of his family's massacre.

The current president of Umbrella, Richard Murphy, figured no one would suspect Murphy Pharmaceuticals was actually a front for the Umbrella Corporation. Normally that would be true. Except Darius had exhausted every source and lead he could find on Umbrella. Even to the point where he'd memorized everything about the corporation, including every single top employee of the company. A Richard Murphy had been one of them.

He'd gone so far as to hack into certain personnel files to find that at the age of 26, Murphy led a USFU team, Umbrella Special Forces Unit, when he was in the combat or "security" division on a mission titled: SKYE EXTRACTION. Richard Murphy, now the president of Umbrella Corporation after working his way up the ranks, had been the one leading the team which had murdered Darius's family and kidnapped his brother to do God only knows what experiments on him.

But they hadn't managed to kill Darius and fortunately, if you could even ever think such a thing, his parents had left him with connections to employees of Umbrella. He'd used those connections to accumulate money to buy himself his soldiers. He had only to tell them what they needed to know to get the job done. They were mercenaries but loyal ones. Darius had spent years gathering skills and information he could use to destroy Murphy and Umbrella.

With his soldiers, he had been locating and blowing up Umbrella facilities. The locations all claimed to be that of a Murphy Pharmaceutical operating factory but Darius was capable of rooting out which ones were making pharmaceutical supplies and which were housing Umbrella laboratories in full operation mode.

In particular, he was searching for the facility where Murphy was hiding. Richard Murphy was a dead man walking and Umbrella was living out the last of its days, whether they knew it or not. Twenty years had passed since his family was murdered by Umbrella. Darius Greene was well aware of an old saying which would prove very true in this case. Revenge, was best served cold.


	17. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Chapter 16

-One Step Forward, Two Steps Back-

"This, is supposed to fit six adults?" Eva demanded, scanning the small space of the cabin's interior in disbelief.

Chris, Wesker, Melody, and Krauser stood behind her by the doorway. The first floor consisted of one big room about seven yards in width and maybe double that in length. There were also two small rooms branching off of the main area which contained a bathroom and a tiny bedroom with a single cot. The teenager got the feeling the second floor probably looked similar, perhaps minus the two back rooms the first floor had. It was obvious the cabin had been abandoned long ago judging by the few pieces of furniture remaining, and by the accumulation of a thin layer of dust spread over everything.

"Nope," Krauser answered, coming to stand next to her at nearly the dead center of the room. "It fits five adults and one kid."

Eva turned, rammed her knee into Krauser's groin area, and went to sit in a dusty wooden chair on the far side of the room, all in a space of three seconds. Moments like this always reminded the others of how she was Wesker's child. She didn't take kindly to being referred to as a child at all. She was seventeen years old and it seemed she was going to stay that way for a very long time. If people referred to her as a "kid" now, that meant in twenty years they were still going to be seeing her as a teenager instead of a 37-year-old. She felt a wave of brief sadness and regret wash over her.

She was never going to have a normal life. Admittedly, she didn't have much of a normal life right then, definitely being in a matured mental state miles away from a young girl should be, but one day... One day when she'd gotten older, she would have liked to make a normal life for herself. Maybe even have a family. That could never happen though. Not any more.

She didn't want her own children growing up and looking older than she did, getting old enough that she would have to watch them die of old age while she sat there, a mere teenager. There was no way she could put her own children through such a confusing situation and no way, selfishly perhaps, could she bear to watch as they died before her because she never could. Die that is.

Krauser was finishing up a stream of curses as he remained doubled over from the blow she had dealt him, when Ada came inside the cabin. Her red heels tapped softly on the wooden floorboards. After taking in what the cabin had to offer, she crossed her arms against her chest.

"Cozy," the woman in red commented, sounding as though she was trying to find an upside to their predicament.

"That's too kind for a dump like this." Eva retorted, kicking the unstable looking table, probably once used for mealtimes, with the heel of one of her black boots.

The wooden table collapsed, becoming a mound of debris. Apparently the wood had been rotten. It was almost as if the cabin was trying to prove her right. A smug smile started to form on her face but it vanished at her father's words.

"This cabin is suitable for our needs and a solution for our current situation." Wesker told Eva and the others, without bothering to look at any of them.

Yup, sounds like dad. Eva thought to herself. She opened her mouth to protest but he spotted it before she could say anything and added to his short statement.

"This is suitable as a temporary solution so I don't want to hear any complaints about it. Oh, and let's try to get along," the man eyed Chris and Krauser when he got to that part. "We don't have to be friends in order to work together. Also, let's not forget, people are attempting to hunt us down to kill us."

A thought occurred to her and she voiced it. "How'd you know about this place anyway, Melody?"

The question had probably crossed the others' minds as well but none of them had bothered to bring it up.

Melody wasn't from the area so how could she have known about some desolate cabin in the forest outside of town? The idea itself wasn't such a bad one. After their assault on the apartment earlier that night, Umbrella would be expecting them to leave town, find a new place somewhere in the country to hide. The corporation would never suspect they'd actually just move right to the edge of the same town and go no further. It was a clever idea and Eva had to admit that she was surprised Melody had come up with it.

If the odd woman felt their suspicions about her, she didn't show that she'd noticed when she answered. "When I was first making my way to this town, my path took me through these woods and I saw the house sitting there."

"Actually it's a cabin, not a house." Eva corrected.

The pale woman shifted her eyes to her. "People lived here, did they not?"

"Yeah, at one time or another," she told her.

"We are going to live here, correct?" Melody asked.

"For a little while, yeah."

"People live in houses, do they not?"

"Well, yeah..." Eva answered slowly this time, beginning to feel confused.

"People live in houses. People have lived here like we will be now. Therefore, this should be called a house, correct?" Melody deduced, looking to her for an answer.

She stared at the test tube produced woman standing before her for a long moment without blinking. When she finally did blink, it appeared more like a wince. "That's not what-I-It-I..." Eva slowly exhaled. "Fine, it's a house."

Melody nodded once, lifting her eyes up to take in the ceiling of the cabin. "I know it is a house."

She had to mentally restrain herself from rolling her eyes and instead opted to purse her lips and steer her gaze clear of the woman. That is, at least, until Melody pointed something out.

"Chris, you are bleeding."

Eva shot to her feet. "What?! Are you okay?" She practically ran over to him. "Where are you hurt?"

Chris's reaction was unexpected. He backed away from her so his back was to the wall beside the door. "I got hit by a stray round but I'm fine."

"You were shot?!" she exclaimed, unable to conceal the horror in her voice. She placed her hands on his arms, gripping them hard. "Getting shot isn't something you keep to yourself, Chris!"

She backed off a bit, searching for a wound. She couldn't find one. "Where is it? Where were you shot?"

He made no attempt to answer her. Eva looked around at everyone. Chris was actively avoiding her gaze. Melody seemed to have spaced out and was once again gazing upward at some unseen object of fascination on the ceiling. Ada stood silently, observing without comment or readable emotion of any kind.

But it was her father that gave the answer without him having to say a word. Wesker's eyes were scanning Chris up and down, finally lingering on his right leg. She followed his gaze to find the back of Chris's right pant leg was wet and sticky with a dark red substance. Blood.

She couldn't figure out why Chris wouldn't tell them he'd been shot in the leg though. She glanced back at her father to find a small smirk growing on his lips. Her eyes flickered to Krauser when the buff man chuckled and then let out a genuine bark of laughter.

"I really am gonna have to save your ass." Krauser managed to say through his laughing.

Eva turned away from him, noting Chris was standing very still. His face was reddening, eyes now finding the floor. It dawned on her then, where he had been shot. It didn't seem funny to her. She got up close to him and tried to make him turn around with little success.

"Come on, Chris. Let me see. You can't just stand there bleeding to death."

He slid away from her grasping hands. "I think the bleeding has stopped for the most part. I'll live."

"Not that you would stay dead for long if you died..." Eva mentioned, before quickly realizing what she was saying and how it would do little to help anything right then. "But that's not the point! You have a bullet in you. We have to take it out. You could get an infection."

After refraining from any sort of intervention up until then, Ada finally interjected. "Eva, why don't you and Melody join me outside to cover up the car. We don't want anyone who may happen to pass by, see it and get curious."

Reluctantly, she moved away from Chris and after a brief moment of hesitation, she followed Melody and Ada outside. She thought she heard raised voices for a moment from inside but then the three of them were moving further from the cabin and over to Ada's Ford Explorer. They searched around for large branches with plenty of leaves which would provide the most cover over the black vehicle. It was never going to be completely hidden from sight but as long as they could make it look like it might have been there for a while and had been abandoned like the cabin, that would be good enough in Eva's opinion.

They had been scavenging for branches only a few minutes when a strangled cry erupted from the cabin. Ada came over by her and placed a hand on her shoulders as if she could read the concern on her mind.

"He's fine. Chris has been through a lot worse."

She knew Ada was right. Eva was with Chris in Africa where he'd gone through a lot of emotions. Pain, sorrow, regret, anger. Heck, he had died in Africa. It was her fault he was going to live forever like she was, and unlike her, Chris had friends and family. He had told her about a few of them, but he talked the most about his sister Claire. She met the woman for a brief period three months ago in Africa and she'd liked her from the start. Intelligent, kind blue eyes, reddish brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, in her late 20's, and she could shoot. Clearly, Claire had learned a thing or two from having a soldier and expert marksman for an older brother.

The few stories Chris told Eva about his life usually centered around Claire and him when he was raising her all by himself. His parents had died when he was pretty young in a car accident. Chris had been exposed to tragedy early in life. Perhaps being the adult and parent to his little sister was a big part of why he was so strong and courageous today. That was a nice thought and she felt it was the truth of the matter.

She crouched down to get a particularly large fallen branch she'd spotted and noticed Ada staring. The woman in red was watching her almost thoughtfully and when she her stare had been noticed, she knelt to fix the strap on one of her heels. Eva put her hands on her hips and did not turn away again. Instead she mimicked the older woman's stare until the teenager was acknowledged by said woman. Ada bit her lower lip for a moment, studying her briefly before she chose to speak.

"He's okay isn't he?"

Eva's eyes filled with confusion. "Okay? Who? What do you mean?"

"He seems..distant."

"What are you talking about? Who seems distant?" she asked, pressing for an answer. She didn't like feeling confused. She was an abnormally intelligent girl, a certifiable genius. That meant she didn't get confused a whole lot and she liked it that way.

"This should be enough to ward off suspicion." Ada said instead of answering Eva's questions.

She walked away from the car, back towards the cabin. Eva and Melody were both left standing there staring after her. The two exchanged significant glances. At least Eva had anyway. Melody's face simply bore a blank look per usual. Sometimes Eva wondered if Melody wasn't.."all there". Perhaps her brain hadn't fully formed when she was created. The two made their way back to the cabin themselves after a couple seconds of awkward silence hung between them.

The scene the three women entered upon inside the cabin could be construed as appalling or quite pleasing, depending on one's tastes. When Ada opened the door and walked in first, she came to an abrupt halt a couple of feet inside the doorway.

"Cute."

She stepped to the side to allow the other two entry into the cabin, a small smile on her lips. Eva came inside but got only as far as Ada had gone, stopping beside her. Melody followed suit, coming to stand beside her. The reason for their abrupt halt stood, or rather, bent before the women.

Chris was arched over the back of the wooden chair previously occupied by Eva, his head facing away from the doorway and the three women. Wesker had both black gloved hands on Chris's shoulders as if maybe holding him in place. Krauser was knelt by the stooped man's side, searching for something on the floor near the chair, that Eva couldn't see. Oh, and Chris's pants were hanging by his ankles, his rear end beholden for all three women to bear witness.

As her widening eyes took in this new "view" of Chris, beside her, Melody uttered, "Oh."

A huge grin plastered across Eva's face then and something escaped her lips before she could catch herself. "Nice."

Four pairs of eyes turned to stare at her. The owner of the fifth pair of eyes, Chris, merely banged his forehead against the back of the chair with a heavy thud.

"Out-side-now," he choked out. His tone was mixed with embarrassment and frustration.

Krauser went back to what he'd been doing. He picked up a white cloth which he moistened with a small bottle of what was probably disinfectant, and placed it against the bottom right side of Chris's behind.

Blushing from outwardly expressing her appreciation of Chris's, well, assets, Eva was the first to dart out of the cabin. Melody and Ada soon joined her. A brief moment of silence lasted between the three and then Ada and Eva burst into fits of laughter. She could tell by the way Ada slowly built up to actual laughter that she didn't laugh like that a whole lot. Melody was looking on with a smile on her face, almost seeming not to understand the humor, but instead, appeared to be enjoying their happiness and ability to genuinely laugh.

Inside the cabin there was another loud thud. Eva could just picture the mostly brown-eyed man inside, hitting his forehead against the back of the chair once again because of their laughing. She couldn't help it. She started to laugh even harder. When the two finally managed to calm down, all three of them stood or paced around in general silence. They didn't know each other. It was strange chance which had brought them together at a dangerous time.

"I am sorry for the trouble I have caused." Melody blurted out, looking very sorry indeed.

"Hey, don't even be sorry. You're the one thing we have going for us." Eva informed the apologetic, lethal bio-weapon.

And yes, she was aware of how that sounded. Irony. It was everywhere.

"The bad news isn't you, Melody," she tried to explain.

Ada, in the meantime, had her PDA out and was frowning as she stared at the screen. She blocked out the other woman and her curiosity about what she might be doing with her personal device.

"The bad news is the female cop, um, something Hyler, or Tayor..."

"Taylor. She said her name was Katherine Taylor." Melody filled in for her.

"Oh, right." Eva said, pushing the hair out of her face. "Well, the bad news is that female cop, Taylor, probably bugged our apartment under Umbrella's orders. She's the one who told them where to send their attack units to kill us, not you. You're on our side now."

"Just don't give us any reason not to trust you." Ada added without looking up from her hand-held device.

She'd said it with her voice sounding calm and normal but the unvoiced warning was clear. Her fingers went back to the PDA and she started walking in the direction of the cabin's door. Eva saw why when she turned around in the direction of the building. Chris was standing outside the doorway, now fully dressed. Ada continued on inside but not before pausing beside him and showing the screen on her PDA briefly.

His eyes grew wide. "Are you serious?"

"She's a force of nature, that one." Eva heard Ada say to the former BSAA member in reply.

Concern flickered over his features which she did not like to see on his face. She marched over to him, Melody trailing slowly behind, and placed a hand gently on his chest.

"Too bad. I liked it when you went commando style," she told him.

With a grin on her face, she brushed past him into the cabin. She knew without looking, that he had all kinds of red coloring his face now.

The front door was shutting behind Melody and Chris, the last two inside, when almost simultaneously, Wesker and Melody visibly perked up and listened to something unheard by the rest. Eva tried to hear the noise but with no luck whatsoever. Why couldn't she have super anything to go with her immortality? Wesker seemed to.

"There is someone outside." Melody revealed for them. After a few seconds passed, she added, "Alone, light steps, nearly here now."

Chris shifted uncomfortably. "Can you tell if it's a female?"

"Most likely." Melody told him. "Or a child. It is possible a lost child spotted the cabin and is seeking help."

"Or perhaps a woman who knows exactly what place she's looking for." Wesker suggested, his words coming across as more of a statement. "Right, Chris?"

Eva searched Chris and then Wesker's face. The latter had an expression of annoyance and growing anger. There came a knock on the cabin's door, followed by a tentative female's voice.

"Chris?"

Chris seemed to be doing his best to ignore Wesker's scalding gaze as he went to open the door. Eva lit up when she saw who it was. Claire Redfield was just outside the cabin's entrance, dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt, and a light red jacket over the shirt. Her reddish brown hair was tied in a ponytail as usual, and her big blue eyes brightened when she saw her brother standing there. She hugged him tightly, practically throwing herself into his arms.

She was surprised Claire didn't appear surprised to see her brother alive. It was as if she had already known he was alive and well. That's when it came to her. Claire did know. But...how?

"Chris." Wesker uttered in a loud voice, putting his sunglasses back on.

Eva was shocked she had failed to immediately notice her father hadn't been wearing his sunglasses. The man wore them so often they might as well have been fused to his face.

Claire released her brother from their embrace so Chris could look at Wesker. The black clad man extended his arm, palm up, as though waiting for something. Pure guilt crossed Chris's face and he pulled out a black cell phone and battery, moved over to Wesker, and placed the items into his waiting hand.

"Sorry, I needed..." Chris started to say but seemed to change his mind and instead said, "I couldn't let her think I was dead."

Before Wesker could say anything else or do anything else, Ada intervened by shifting partial blame onto herself.

"Chris may have called her but I was the one who sent her an e-mail with our location. He informed me Claire was threatening to go public with the news about Umbrella still being around, regardless of the lack of evidence. So I gave her something else she wanted."

"Her brother..." Eva murmured, more to herself than anybody else. In a louder voice she exclaimed, "Well I think it's great you're here, Claire."

"She's not staying." Chris said firmly.

"Okay, okay." Claire said quickly. "Before people start fighting or something, I need to show you guys... It's bad news I'm afraid. I found this circulating on the Internet, not to mention the postings all over town."

She reached into an inner jacket pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. She opened it and held it up for them to see. The paper was of a wanted poster which said the following in all caps:

'WANTED. CHRISTOPHER REDFIELD. WANTED: FOR INTERROGATION FOR HARBORING A SUSPECT IN A MULTIPLE HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION AND FOR QUESTIONING IN A SECOND POSSIBLE MULTIPLE HOMICIDE CASE.'

There was a number for the police department and filling up the majority of the page was a picture of Chris.

"Crap."

She heard Chris mutter. And Eva could tell, everyone was in agreement on that one.


	18. Fallen Heroes

Chapter 17

-Fallen Heroes-

"What do they mean by a second possible homicide?" Claire asked quizzically, directing the question at anybody in general to answer for her when Chris failed to do so.

Chris was far too busy staring at his picture on the wanted poster. The photo was taken from his identification for when he'd been a member of the BSAA. That meant these cops knew everything about him now. His entire life's history. Of course, if the woman officer, Detective Taylor, was working for Umbrella, then they already knew everything about him. They probably had a file for him somewhere.

Umbrella Corporation seemed to keep a file on everything, no matter how small or insignificant it might have appeared to be to an outsider, unfamiliar with Umbrella's way of doing things. He became vaguely aware Eva was answering his sister's question when he had neglected to do so, and tuned in.

"Those Umbrella operatives from the apartment. I'll bet Umbrella cleaned up their guys to remove any trace they'd ever been there."

"Which is what I thought we had done." Wesker commented, fixing Chris with what was probably a fierce glare but the sunglasses tended to deduct from the total points of scariness the tyrant had going for him when those red and yellow eyes of his were exposed.

Chris had pointed that out to Wesker once and in return he had received a punch to his face and a kick to the chest which sent him sprawling. From then on, he decided to give Wesker advice and tips only at the bare minimum.

"Leave it alone, Wesker," he uttered, his voice hardly above a soft whisper.

He was tired of fighting with the ones who were his supposed allies. Chris wished everything could be much more simple to understand. That things could be either black or white, instead of an infinite number of grays. People were rarely ever easy to dissect. Humans often did irrational things for the sake of what they believed was the rational thing to do. Individuals made much more intelligent choices than a group. A soldier was always better off without vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities included loved ones.

Chris needed to clean up this mess he'd gotten himself into before things became even more complicated. To do that, he couldn't let anyone he cared about get hurt. Not this time. Claire had to leave so he would at least know she was safe.

"Claire, I think Wesker is right," the former BSAA agent reluctantly admitted. "You need to go. It's not safe here. I should never have contacted you in the first place."

"What? Why are you saying this? If it's not safe I don't want you here either!" his sister exclaimed, defending her right to be where she wanted. "I thought you were dead for a while there. I don't want you to get yourself killed for real! Chris? Are you listening to me? Chris?"

Chris wasn't listening to her. His mind was wandering among his own thoughts after he'd said what he needed to her. He knew if Claire stayed with them then she would become a target herself. He had already seen her life in danger solely because of him, twice now. The first time was when his sister had gone to Raccoon City in search of him over ten years ago. She'd arrived to find a T-Virus infected city and had been forced to survive through the zombie and monster infested city mostly on her own.

When she'd gone looking for him again after escaping from Raccoon City, Umbrella had captured her trespassing in one of their buildings. They'd transported her to Rockfort Island as a prisoner, and when an outbreak occurred, once more she'd been forced to fight to survive zombies, monstrous experiments, and the incredibly insane Ashford twins.

Anger began to grow inside, the heat of it spreading from the pit of his stomach and upward to his head. Umbrella had been the reason he'd had no choice but to go into hiding in the first place, away from Raccoon, and he'd traveled to Europe in hopes of finding a way to shut the corporation down. Umbrella's creations and accidental outbreaks were what nearly killed Claire on both occasions all that time ago.

Chris ignored his sister's hurt look and the surprised stares from the others. He reached into a small case on his belt, slightly behind where he kept extra ammunition, as he pushed open the cabin door. He found what he was looking for and let the door swing shut behind him.

He relished the momentary silence and peace of being alone, breathing in the fresh air. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a flutter of motion. A bird taking off into the air from a rather high tree branch. It was such a small action but it took Chris back. His mind flashing to his memories in Africa from just over three months ago.

The P30 infected Jill Valentine, his old partner, moving fast. She was attacking Chris and his BSAA team under Wesker's chemical induced control. The P30 was being pumped into her body via a device on her chest and he managed to tear it off of her. He'd held Jill as she lay there, weakening by the second. He'd hoped she was really only exhausted from being a puppet for the last couple of years, but it had been worse than that.

"My body's broken. For coming for me..for saving me... Thank you."

His name was the last thing Chris ever heard her say before she stopped breathing.

"Please..you can't die. Don't go where I can't follow. Jill..."

Chris returned to the present, hand rubbing his forehead in distress. That African mission was fear he would never forget. A fear he couldn't forget. The fear of losing everyone he trusted and cared about. Fear of the things which desired to kill him, lurking in the shadows. Most of all, it was being incapable of shaking the fear of how much evil existed out in the world. The fading hope that one day there would be no more evil like the Umbrella Corporation.

Ten years ago Chris had been young and naive. He'd truly believed he would stop the Umbrella Corporation with Jill and Barry and Rebecca, and everything would be okay again. That everything would go back to the way it was..at least for the most part.

As the missions added up and the good people continued getting killed, Chris had come to the realization that his life was never going to be the same. He would be fighting the rest of his life. If not against Umbrella, then it would be against some other psychopathic organization or individual who believed they were right and had their mind set on molding the world into what they wanted. The wind ruffled tree branches full of leaves and for a moment the sun shone through. Chris raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden light and flashed back to his time in Africa once more.

He stood in the center of a dirt road outside the jeep he'd driven to arrive in Kijuju, where he'd been sent to meet his new partner for the mission to locate a bio-weapons dealer by the name of Ricardo Irving. A young African woman had walked up from behind to greet him.

"Welcome to Africa," she'd said to him with a heavy accent and a kind smile. "My name is Sheva Alomar."

Moments of when the two of them had worked together, fighting side by side. They had worked well together. Then his mind recalled another memory. Not at all a pleasant memory.

Eva yelling angrily. "Sin was right. Sheva is the liar! She was working for Umbrella all along!"

Sheva was pointing her gun at Wesker, Chris moving to stand between the two of them. He managed to talk his partner into standing down, but then she'd turned and been shot twice in the stomach.

The flashback faded and he found himself outside the cabin once again. Sheva had been murdered by Dante, also known as Sin, an insane psychopath who wanted nothing more than to play games with them and watch them die. Dante had been able to create incredible illusions of people and places, some of which were every bit capable of harming Chris and a group of people who'd been with him, trying to figure out what was going on. Places like the mansion from 1998 would suddenly exist again, or a long dead enemy would appear and attack them.

The mission in Africa had been a mass of confusion and Chris doubted they would ever fully understand what happened there. Not when he'd met people who could do amazing things like flying or telepathy. But knowing a mind-reader hadn't even come close to being the most bizarre occurrence. Dante coming back in spirit form after dying and controlling another's body. That, had been much more unbelievable. And later, when deceased friends and allies had shown up and forced Dante to leave, to wherever the dead went Chris assumed, that, had been extremely difficult to acknowledge as having happened. It couldn't have happened. Was probably even one big hallucination forced on them as Dante's final desperate act before death took him from existence forever.

Chris recalled Sheva's lifeless eyes as she'd laid on the hard African soil. His latest partner dead. He'd lost a lot of friends and allies in his lifetime and he was just tired of it. Chris opened his hand which tightly clutched what he'd retrieved from the case on his belt before he'd first stepped outside. It was a prescription bottle halfway filled with small white pills.

He dry swallowed two pills before putting the bottle away. He leaned against the front wall of the cabin and crossed his arms over his chest, one hand rubbing his head as if to rid his mind of the bad memories and the stress that came with them.

His eyes were shut but he still could hear it as the door of the cabin opened and closed, soft steps growing louder as they approached.

"Chris, if you want me to leave, I will."

The 35-year-old lowered his hand and opened his eyes to find his sister standing a couple feet away. Claire's big blue eyes stared at him, as though trying to read what was on his mind. Chris spoke before she could.

"I did want to see you. I did. I wouldn't have called if I didn't."

"But you didn't want me here, did you? Ada told me where you guys were, not you. You called and talked but you wouldn't tell me where you were. In fact, you refused. Chris, what's the deal?"

He straightened his posture and really looked at Claire this time. "Yes, I want you to go back home. Not because I don't want to see you, Claire. I do. You don't know how badly I do. I wish we could just do something relaxing like have dinner and talk about what's going on in your life. But now is not the time. You need to go so I know you're safe. I won't risk losing you, that's all, okay?"

He was glad he'd been able to get it all out without stumbling over his words. Claire would have taken that as a sure sign he wasn't completely certain about what he was saying, which he wasn't. She didn't need to know that. He didn't need her to know. She would only worry more.

Claire appeared to be thinking over what he'd said. He took that time to examine his sister. There were no bags under her eyes, her clothes were nice and clean, and her hair was pulled back in her typical ponytail. To him this meant she was taking care of herself and healthy. Unlike him, his sister was sleeping at night.

"You look good, Claire."

She briefly closed her eyes and then opened them, tilting her head to the side. Clearly Claire didn't appreciate him trying to say anything about her when she wanted to talk to him about, well, him.

"You're trusting Wesker now. Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

Chris chuckled. Such a comment about Albert Wesker definitely warranted a good laugh.

"I don't trust anyone in our little makeshift group. Well, Eva perhaps, but definitely not anyone else. Wesker's done far too much bad to ever earn my trust and as for Krauser and Ada, I don't really know them. Besides, in this line of freelance fighting to save the world sort of stuff I've been doing lately, distrust comes with the work."

Before Claire could make any noise resembling the beginnings of a response, he moved forward and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"It's great to see you Claire, really." He pulled away from her and smiled softly. "Now let's get you back home."

"Chris-"

"Did you drive?"

Claire sighed, shoulders visibly slumping in defeat. "Yeah I drove. My car's in town, outside the theater. I can find my way back since I only just came from there."

The bitterness in her tone was not lost on him but he chose not to press the matter. Eva came out of the cabin at that moment and it helped with the whole avoidance issue.

"Chris?"

"I'm going to walk Claire back into town, Eva. I'll be back soon."

"I'll come along."

It took them about ten to fifteen minutes to get back to town. They moved down the sidewalk, trying to seem as casual as possible. Chris was, after all, the face of a wanted poster every couple of blocks on a store window or street pole. A red Dodge Neon was parked further down the street outside one of the small clothing stores where people were coming and going. Claire walked a few yards in front of them and turned around.

"I can take it from here. It was nice to see you again, Eva."

The green-eyed girl smiled at Chris's sister. "I'm sorry you had to leave so soon but they're right you know. It's getting pretty dangerous around here."

He really wished Eva hadn't said that. The last thing Claire needed to hear right now was how much danger currently surrounded her older brother. His sister gave Eva a small smile and acknowledged her statement.

"I know." Claire shifted her eyes to Chris. "That's why I worry about you."

"I'll be okay, Claire. Be safe."

"Yeah, you too."

She turned around and walked the rest of the way to her car. Chris turned in the other direction and quickened his pace away from his sister. The sooner he got out of this town, the better. He wanted to get this mission over with before he would feel certain the people he cared about would be safe.

"Chris? You don't want to see her off?" Eva asked him.

She was matching his stride step for step despite her short stature.

"If I see her off, it'll just make it that much harder to get her out of my mind. I need her and everyone else I care about out of my head. I have to focus on the mission until it's done and over with. I have to."

The possibility of that ever happening fell to pieces when an enormous explosion came from not too far behind them. Surprised and panicked cries rang out and Chris couldn't bring himself to turn around. When he finally did force himself to do so, his worst fears were confirmed. A red car was engulfed in flames. It was a pile of smoldering ruins now. Claire's car. Claire.

Chris sank to his knees, staring numbly at the wreckage of his sister's car. Eva was shouting in his ear. Something about how they had to go, maybe something about the police. He didn't budge, even when she tried to drag him by the arm and shoulder. The sound of sirens drew nearer and Eva's voice became more frantic.

A much stronger grip locked around the back of his neck, yanking him to his feet. A flood of anger tore through his body and he spun, slamming his fist into the one with a grip on his neck. As he'd expected, the hand belonged to Wesker and the tyrant barely even reacted to the punch to his face. Instead, he responded by returning a blow straight to Chris's own face. He felt himself starting to fall, and he heard Eva shrieking before the black dragged him under.


	19. Shattered

Chapter 18

-Shattered-

Albert Wesker dropped the unconscious former BSAA soldier none too gently onto the single cot in the bedroom at the back of the cabin. He'd come into the cabin carrying Chris over his shoulder, Ada and Krauser watching him go into the back, then continuing to watch as he reentered the main area alone. No one said anything, waiting on the new arrival to be the first to explain what that was about. Wesker didn't speak though, and if he would have they would never know, because Eva stormed into the cabin at that moment.

"Wesker!"

His head tilted in her direction but with his dark sunglasses covering his eyes and the rest of his face expressionless, his reaction to her obvious anger was impossible to measure.

"You didn't have to hit him so hard!"

"He was resisting," he answered simply.

"He was distraught." Eva defended. "Emotionally in pieces. He saw his sister die right in front of him! The one Chris cares about most of all is gone. He needs comfort, understanding, and what do you do? You punch him into oblivion!"

"Perhaps oblivion is what he needed." Wesker suggested in a bored tone.

She visibly stiffened. His daughter was trying to comprehend how he could be so callous in the face of such an event. Wesker may have wanted to exercise care at what he said to her. Too late now. He tried to remedy the situation by adding reason to his initial reply.

"The authorities would have arrived in mere seconds. Knocking Chris out was my way of getting us out of there before we could be discovered."

She muttered under her breath, hands clenching into fists.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're full of shit. You hit Chris because you don't like him. You couldn't be bothered to act like a human being for even a minute. You knocked him unconscious because it was easier. Easier for you."

Eva was staring at him in a way he never wanted his own child to look at him. Her eyes were filled with tears of horror, disgust, and disbelief. But most of all, her eyes reflected that of disappointment and grief he hadn't even noticed before. She was sad Claire Redfield was dead and hated him for not even showing a small fraction of any sort of emotion.

Wesker knew he was quite capable of feelings. He felt anger and frustration often enough to be certain of that. But the man also knew he had always shown difficulty in expressing emotions. He had been taught certain feelings, such as fear or grief, were signs of weakness and so he'd rarely shown them. His deceased wife was the only one he'd shown every side of himself to.

His wife had been gone a long time though, and he hadn't been human for over ten years now as well. The experimental virus he'd injected himself with shortly before he was killed by Tyrant in the Arklay mansion over a decade ago had stifled his emotions. There was no question about it, the virus had changed him more than just giving him superhuman speed and strength. Wesker knew this as he also was aware he could still feel things. Therefore, he couldn't possibly blame his lack of displaying typical gestures and responses to situations on the basis that he wasn't human.

As he registered the disappointment in his daughter's eyes, he was feeling a tightness in his chest, somewhere around the location of his heart. Wesker identified the ache as one caused from a mixture of guilt, regret, and

sadness. He had caused his daughter pain by letting her down and not being the comforting father she wanted him to be. However, none of these feelings came close to reaching his outward indifferent appearance. Eva continued to stare up at him with her watery eyes and he couldn't even bring himself to say anything kind.

"Dad..." Eva said, hardly above a whisper. "I hate you."

This time a reaction of some kind did cross his features. A raised eyebrow reflecting his disbelief and the twitching of the corners of his lips as he inquired with surprise in his tone. "What?"

"I hate you for what you've done to him," she told him, louder this time.

Without another word or glance, she turned away from him and went up the stairs to the second floor. Silence echoed within the already tension filled room. The sound of Ada's PDA beeping snapped Wesker back to the present, and the knowledge that Krauser and Ada had been standing there the entire time. The woman in red pulled out her hand-held device but before she looked down at it, she looked at him.

"Whatever happened, fix it, or we leave Eva behind. Umbrella is sending assassination teams to kill us which probably means we're getting close to something they don't want us to find or somewhere they don't want us to be. Which means time is running short. If we're going to go all the way on the mission, then we need to make a play and soon. Fix this."

After her little speech, she walked towards the front door, staring down at the device in hand. She glanced over her shoulder when she was nearly to the exit. "Krauser."

The heavily muscled soldier followed her outside and Wesker was left alone to his own thoughts. Fix this, Ada had told him. How was he supposed to fix something that could only be accomplished by making someone alive again? Because of Claire's sudden death, Chris was likely to be an emotional wreck when he did wake up, and Eva wasn't likely speaking to Wesker any more.

He inwardly frowned as he sat down on the wooden chair near where he'd been standing. Claire Redfield's death had been very sudden and had come from nowhere. She'd barely gotten into town, and better yet, barely away from the vehicle for more than half an hour.

Yet someone had known which car was hers, known it was there in the first place, and rigged it to blow. These people weren't wasting any time in wiping them from the face of the planet and were getting suspiciously accurate. Ada was right on one thing without a doubt. They had to make their move fast if they planned on having even a chance of succeeding in destroying the Umbrella Corporation forever.

He hated himself for it, but it took him a good 40 minutes of his brain formulating and reformulating possible moves they could make against Umbrella, before he thought of what he needed to fix first. The situation with Eva and their little, rather insignificant issues in the grand scheme of things really, but problems nonetheless.

Wesker acknowledged his daughter was angry with him for an entire lifetime of never seeing her father display much feeling or vulnerability. Never showing much humanity at all. But Eva had never shown it bothered her until he had failed to react to Chris's personal tragedy. That meant he needed to get the former BSAA soldier back on his feet and ready to take down Umbrella again if Wesker wanted to make it good with her. This was something he could accomplish. He could let his animosity for Chris remain shelved, play a sympathetic and understanding role, then use Claire's murder to fuel the man's anger and ensure it was directed at Umbrella.

Of course, such a method was unhealthy and would likely lead to further psychological issues later on for Chris. As long as it got results now, he reasoned, Eva would believe he was okay and Wesker could continue with his vendetta against the Umbrella Corporation.

Satisfied with his plan, he made his way to the bedroom at the back of the cabin to rouse Chris from his coerced slumber, only to find the cot empty. He placed a hand on the center of the old bed and then the yellowed pillow. Both spots were cold, meaning Chris hadn't vacated the bed recently. Wesker must have been too involved in his own thoughts and somehow missed hearing him exit the cabin out the back way sometime in the last half hour or so. His lips curved downward very slightly. This was going to be more difficult than he'd previously thought. He started to turn away from the cot when something caught his eye.

He stooped down and peered under the small bed. Chris had left his gear behind, including his gun and belt which carried extra ammo clips and empty packs for other items. For some reason even he wasn't sure of, Wesker reached for the belt and searched through the extra packs used for additional items. He seemed rather different than the Chris that Wesker had known over three months earlier and for some reason he thought he could find the answer among the soldier's belongings.

When he actually did find something in the form of a half-filled prescription bottle of pills addressed to a false name, he understood much more fully, how truly broken Chris was becoming. Wesker was going to have to do something unprecedented. He was going to need to try with all of his might, to be a friend.

With the discovery of Chris's gear and the prescription bottle left behind, he now knew right where Chris would be. Wesker used his speed to get through the woods and walked at a brisk pace through town. He was at the door of the town's one and only location which served alcohol, when the last person he wanted to see was just walking out.

Detective Katherine Taylor, probably the one working for Umbrella, lifted her head up so her eyes could meet Wesker's black shades. Relief flooded across her face much to his surprise.

"Am I glad to see you! You're with Chris Redfield, right?"

"With?" Wesker dared to inquire, even though what he desired was to put his fist straight through her beating heart and watch her bloody corpse twitch reflexively in a pool of her own blood and gore.

"Um," the woman fidgeted in obvious discomfort. "At the apartment, you identified yourself as a couple." She bit down on her lower lip as though thinking hard, one hand going to her hip. "Of course, you also identified yourself as a Mr. Smith which was probably used to make sure your identity and whereabouts remained unknown for some reason. Which also means you volunteering that you were in a relationship with a man was more probable to be a sort of smokescreen so my partner and I didn't ask too many questions or at least scrambled our line of thinking temporarily," the detective concluded.

"I see." Wesker said when the detective was quite finished. "You got all of that from my "with" question, hm? Excellent deductive reasoning, detective. I'm sure your superiors would love that."

The woman lowered her other hand to her side and squinted to look at him more closely. "Were you just being sarcastic?" she questioned, surprise in her voice.

"If I were?"

"Oh, nothing really. You just don't seem the type to use humor."

Wesker's only reaction on the inside was impatience, and on the outside nothing changed. The detective appeared to recall why she was talking to him.

"Well, whoever you are, my uncle gave me a call letting me know a wanted man of the police was in his bar and he wanted me to come personally. You see, he seems to also share in my opinion."

He ran a finger along the front lining of his heavy leather jacket, if only for something to do. Already, he was bored of this woman. He didn't trust her in the slightest and as a general principle, he thought all law enforcement were by the book fools incapable of wrapping their heads around anything they didn't personally want to believe as truth. It was the reason Raccoon City had become overrun with the living dead.

When Wesker's surviving Special Tactics And Rescue Service members, a branch belonging to the Raccoon City police department, managed to survive the mansion incident, they had a real story to tell. The five survivors had gone back to headquarters in the city, only to be accused of the murders of the team members who hadn't made it out. The mayor hadn't wanted to believe anything bad about Umbrella, as the corporation supplied most of the jobs for the city's residents. Because of the failure to act on behalf of the city officials and law enforcement, another small viral spill occurred underground. The T-Virus managed to spread through the sewers into the city after a few months, resulting in the extinction of Raccoon City altogether.

People in general were stupid and Wesker had no time to give them. He wished this detective would get on with what she was trying to say. When Detective Taylor made no attempt to continue, however, he reluctantly helped her along to get to the point.

"And your opinion being?"

The woman seemed happy he'd finally asked too, because she was clearly anything but at ease standing there with him. It didn't escape his attention that her right hand kept lifting slightly to her waist, as if estimating how quickly she could pull her handgun from its holster if the need arose. It would not end well for her if she tried it.

"The department's official opinion is that Chris Redfield should be arrested on sight. My opinion... Look, I read Redfield's file myself. No criminal record, was a member of the Air Force, a member of a special tactics team based in Raccoon City, and a member of several anti-terrorism task forces. Been MIA for a few months, presumed dead. Doesn't really scream mass murderer or anything so I doubt he's the man my partner and I are looking for. Heck, the only strange thing about that file was the mention of a Raccoon City. I checked the map but couldn't find it anywhere on it. Probably nothing, just seemed odd at the time. Well anyway, my uncle called to let me know Redfield was pretty messed up and suggested I find someone he knew and here you are. So, save my uncle Sal some grief and get your friend out of the bar before he gets himself into some real trouble, okay?"

She didn't wait for him to say anything and instead moved past, starting across the street. Wesker was thoroughly confused. If Detective Taylor was a spy for Umbrella, why wouldn't they have told her about Chris or Raccoon City? Was she only pretending and playing dumb? He decided to take a chance.

"Detective!" he called out, as she was nearly across to the other side of the street by now. Detective Taylor turned back in his direction with a curious look. "Do some research on Raccoon City. Chris Redfield, he tries to prevent things like that."

The woman seemed puzzled by this and Wesker went inside the bar knowing she was still staring after him. It was too early for such an establishment to be having much business and so it was a rather easy task to pick Chris out of the one other man drinking at the counter.

Wesker made his way over to the counter knowing full well Chris didn't have money to pay the bartender. The man behind the counter, a short and rather portly man, stood in front of Chris, shaking his head as he took an empty glass from him. He pointed to the door, lifting his gaze as he did, and spotted the black-clad man.

"You the guy passing yourself off as a Mr. Smith?"

Wesker sighed to himself with mild annoyance. Word seemed to be getting around about their group and that

wouldn't help them stay hidden any better.

"Are you the one who was oh so original in naming his bar after himself?"

The bartender grinned at him. "Nah, that would actually be my granddad. This bar passes from generation to generation. Same goes for the name Sal. But you didn't come here to get a history lesson about me now, did ya? Listen, I'm cutting your buddy off. He drank himself a sixty dollar tab already."

Wesker glanced down at Chris, who was obviously inebriated and currently trying to sneak a sip from the other man's drink. A man who sat a chair away on his right. He slapped a gloved hand across the back of Chris's head and he made a soft noise of complaint but halted his attempts at taking his neighbor's alcoholic beverage.

"How much has he had to drink?"

Sal frowned down at the drunk before returning his gaze to Wesker. "About four drinks past the first time I told him to go on home. Hey!"

Somehow Chris had slid far enough over the counter to get hold of a bottle of Jack Daniels from under the counter and was chugging it down. Wesker placed a couple hundred dollar bills down on the counter's surface.

"Keep the change for the trouble," he told Sal.

He yanked the former BSAA soldier off of his stool with one hand and grabbed the bottle of alcohol from him with the other. As soon as they were outside, he poured the remaining liquid from the bottle into the grass outside the building.

"Heeey... That's mine." Chris whined to him, his voice slurring heavily.

"I paid for it, therefore it is mine."

He shrugged and glowered unhappily at the ground. "You're mean."

"When have I been known to be nice?"

"Good point. Hey, let's go for a drink!" Chris decided, turning to go back into the bar.

Wesker grabbed him by the arm, keeping him from going inside, and put an arm around his shoulder to steer him away from the building.

"No, you've had more than enough alcohol today."

Chris stopped walking abruptly, halting his progress in propelling the man away from the bar.

"Wesker!" he exclaimed quite loudly into his face.

Wesker gritted his teeth with impatience. "What?"

"When did you get here?"

He sighed, wanting to knock the stupid grin off the younger man's face. Instead, through clenched teeth he ordered him to stop smiling. Wesker was admittedly surprised when the other man actually complied with his command and Chris's mood did a complete 180. Instead of being cheerful and happy to the point of ridiculousness, he now appeared sad and depressed.

They made it another block before Chris slumped unhappily against the side of a brick building and slid into a seated position. After a moment. Wesker forced himself to sit beside the other. They sat there in silence for a while but then Chris apparently decided he didn't feel like being quiet, even when he was a sad drunk.

"Wanna know a secret?" he asked him, eyes wandering sporadically from Wesker's face to random points in the air.

"I wouldn't advise telling me." Wesker replied. What he said had little effect as Chris proceeded to tell him anyway in his slurring voice.

"Sometimes I wonder if maybe you weren't wrong. You know, 'bout destroying the world, forcing evolution on the human race."

Wesker's breath hitched for just a moment. Chris had been adamant in his protests against Wesker and his plans for Uroboros. The former BSAA agent was consistently self-sacrificing and relentless in his fighting. To hear him utter the words that maybe he hadn't been wrong, was shocking and unbelievable. It was something Wesker never, ever expected to pass through Chris Redfield's lips, and to him no less.

He didn't like Chris, there was no surprise in that. But over time he had grown accustomed to the younger man's way of being. Chris was the only opponent who dared fight him and on more than one occasion. Even his annoying self-righteousness was something Wesker had grown to be familiar with. Maybe he could even go as far as to say he was relatively fond of his encounters with the other man.

When Wesker didn't say anything, the drunken soldier went on. "I mean, no matter how many companies we stop..and even if we get rid of Umbrella... It isn't going to make a damn bit of difference in the long run. There's still gonna be people who hurt other people; stealing, raping, murdering... What's the point?"

He had a feeling the question was rhetorical and the man had more to say. He was right. Chris let his head rest against the wall of the building and released a deep sigh.

"Truth is, I'm tired." Chris sounded strangely sober. "Tired of missions, tired of fighting, and tired of watching friends pay for my mistakes. I'm sick of watching the people I care about die. Maybe I should leave. Get as far away from Eva as possible. When people are around me, they get hurt."

"Not me," he pointed out.

Chris waved a hand in the air, dismissing what Wesker had said, but then seemed to realize what he had meant. "You're making fun of my attempts at fighting you and your superhumanness, aren't you?"

Wesker felt the corners of his lips upturn in a small smile as he said, "I'll let you be the judge of that."

They stayed quiet for a while, sitting and watching a person or car go by every now and then. Chris broke the silence by choking out the last words he would speak for some time.

"I miss her."

His eyes flickered over to the soldier and found tears were streaming freely down his face. The inhuman side of Wesker, the programmed side of him, stiffened with disgust and discomfort at such a display of emotional weakness. His remaining humanity, however, empathized with him, remembering the loss of his wife years ago.

He put an arm around Chris's shoulders and pulled him against his side. Chris laid his head against Wesker's shoulder as he cried silent tears and a few minutes later, he fell asleep. Wesker remained seated there a little while longer and for the first time since he'd become something other than human, he pulled apart his beliefs and evaluated them with the thought of others in mind.

Instead of disregarding all of humanity as something wasting oxygen and putting his faith in the chance of a grand evolution by way of chemically changing humans, perhaps he should believe in the ones who put everything on the line just for the possibility of causing a fraction of a difference. He was able to look past the philosophy given to over and over since his first memory. He looked past the pure fury and loss of identity he'd felt at learning he was manufactured by Spencer and his scientists since he was a child, three years ago. It had taken him over a decade and his daughter's look of utter disappointment for him to reach this point.

Wesker finally understood what motivated Chris Redfield and the majority of humankind. They were all searching for a way to be content, happy. People would go to unbelievable extremes for one another. Humans felt something Wesker had stopped feeling long ago. Love.


	20. So Far

Chapter 19

-So Far From the Start, So Far From What was Wanted-

At promptly six a.m. the following morning, Chris woke Eva with a quick shake of her shoulder. He didn't wait to make sure she got up and instead stepped over her to wake Ada. That took care of the people sleeping upstairs. The former BSAA agent moved down the stairs loudly and as intended, Krauser opened his eyes from where he sat propped against the wall. He blinked the remnants of sleep away, stared up at Chris, and then looked over at someone else.

Wesker had been standing in the entryway to the back rooms of the cabin motionless, so Chris hadn't noticed. The soldier knew they were absorbing that he'd been a drunken mess the previous night and was now completely sober, geared up as though about to embark on a mission.

"Going somewhere, Chris?" the man asked him, arms crossed firmly.

He of course heard the question being asked, but gave no sign he had. Chris walked over to Melody, who had spent the entire night sitting silently by one of the windows near the front door. The latest known creation of Umbrella's never slept. She appeared completely unaware of the purpose sleep had for humans. When Chris tried to explain it to her at one point while they'd waited for Wesker and Eva to join them outside of the apartment a few days back, Melody had only given him a blank stare before asking what purpose trees served. Chris had chosen not to answer and the two had waited without saying another word after that. It had been awkward but right now he didn't have time for awkwardness or any questions from her. He knelt down on one knee beside the female bio-weapon.

"Melody, I'm going to ask you a question. One question. And I just want a straight answer."

Slowly the manufactured creation looked at him with those icy blue eyes that were so familiar but of which Chris couldn't quite grasp why.

"I am sorry about your sister. Eva told me she was a good person. Nice to everyone. They killed her because of me." And then, as an afterthought, Melody added, "I do not fully understand what sorry means, but Eva said it is something you say at a time such as this."

Chris forced himself to remain still, emotionless. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the better of him by showing his outrage at how cold her words felt, how unfeeling they were. What did he expect from a test tube creation barely ten months old?

There were distinct footsteps coming down the stairs and he knew Eva and Ada were there even though he made no move to check. His attention was on Melody and maintaining his own exterior appearance. The soldier decided when he'd woken up that as long as everyone believed he was okay and controlled, he could convince himself it was the truth. Chris found himself standing up and placing the blame for Claire's death on himself.

"I have been a thorn in Umbrella's side for a very long time, Melody. They killed my sister to get to me."

He took a moment to meet the eyes of the four others in the room, meeting Wesker's gaze last and holding it there. "It worked."

He returned his gaze to Melody, who stood up from her chair and gave Chris her complete attention as he asked her his question. "Where were you born? I mean, which facility were you created in?"

Melody shifted away from him, focusing on staring at the fingers on her right hand when she extended it out in front of herself. She rotated the hand, flexing it, lost in her own thoughts. Chris watched her in wonder of what she could possibly be thinking about. When she spoke, it wasn't to answer his question.

"Do you remember the man in blue?"

Chris began to get the feeling something was wrong. Usually when he got that feeling he would have his gun drawn or at least a grip on his weapon. But this was Melody, whom Eva trusted, and so Chris was doing his best to trust her too.

"You mean the man who created you, Richard Murphy. Hard to forget someone who trapped you in a series of hallways full of all sorts of fun monsters trying to kill me," the former agent's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes, the man in blue created me. He gave me life. He told me many stories so I would know who was the enemy."

"Okay..." Chris wasn't sure where the pallid woman was going with this. Her eyes seemed to be an even brighter hue now and he felt increasingly uneasy.

"He told me about you. I had forgotten but I remember now."

Melody's eyes were virtually glowing at this point and Chris took a cautionary step back, hand coming to rest on his thigh holster.

"Melody, you're acting strange here. What's going on?"

"Get away from her, Chris." Wesker ordered. "I believe a part of her programming may be kicking in."

He made to move back further but Melody chose that moment to stoop down, slip something out of her boot, and vault at him in one complete motion. She gripped his shirt collar with one hand, pulling him close to her, and used the other hand to jab a needle syringe into his neck.

"This is for killing my brother."

To Chris this seemed to happen in slow motion. Melody was gripping him by the shirt, her grasp impossibly

strong. He never saw the syringe but he felt the sharp pain as she plunged it into his neck. A searing pain spread rapidly throughout his entire body and when it went to his head, it was as if his brain was exploding from the inside out. His vision blurred from the intense pain and he stumbled into the wall on his left. He reached for the needle in his neck and ripped it out, letting it fall to the floor. Chris felt someone grip his arm to help steady him.

When his vision cleared, he found it was Eva standing by his side in concern. Wesker already had Melody shoved against a wall with his hand gripping her by the throat. Before her power to suffocate them could arise, he knocked her out cold with a solid punch to the face. The pain receded from Chris's body and he was left feeling different. He wasn't sure why he did, but he slowly walked across to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror.

Brown eyes stared back at him from a paled complexion caused by the surprise injection Melody had delivered to him and the pain that had come with it. He leaned closer to the reflection of his eyes. They were completely brown, no trace of the green specks which had taken permanent residence in his eyes since his death approximately three months ago.

The information finally fully registered in his brain. He had his old eyes back. Did that mean he was normal again? Could he age like a typical human being once more? Could he die? It was strange. Chris felt almost happy about the good chance he was once again 100% human, imminent death and all. He sensed a presence standing in the bathroom doorway causing him to turn his head to see. Krauser was looking him over critically.

"You all right?" the muscular soldier asked him gruffly. His tone wasn't concerned but almost sounded suspicious.

"Better than fine. I'm human."

It took Krauser a moment to comprehend the immensity of his statement. Understandable, since Wesker's follower hadn't been in Africa when Chris got himself killed by a creation of Umbrella's named Dante. Krauser had been fully informed of the events in Africa, however, and so he grasped what he was saying after thinking it over. Chris read it on Krauser's face that he finally realized what it meant.

"It was a cure? What she injected you with, rid your body of the virus?" Krauser questioned. He sounded surprised and a little confused.

The happiness Chris was feeling evaporated in an instant. Melody had gotten upset before she stabbed him with the needle and injected him with the unknown liquid it contained. The injection had seemingly wiped the Regenerative virus from his body, returning him to normal. Melody had been spouting things about a man in blue, meaning Richard Murphy, and how he'd told her about him. She was angry and Chris had strongly felt how much she'd wanted to hurt him.

Why would Melody cure him then? She wouldn't. Unless..Unless she'd cured him, so she could kill him. Chris's mind raced through the words Melody had said to him and then something became frighteningly clear.

Krauser stepped back from the doorway to allow him back into the central room of the cabin. Eva was kneeling by the still form of the pale haired woman who injected Chris with the contents of the syringe. She looked confused as well as concerned for Melody. Chris could guess what her expression was all about. She was concerned for Melody's well-being, but at the same time confused by her recent actions. Eva wanted to believe this particular product of Umbrella's wasn't like the others they'd come across. She held on to the hope that Melody could be their friend and ally.

The reason Chris knew this to be in Eva's thoughts was because they were in his also. He preferred to give people the benefit of the doubt. The former BSAA agent wanted to believe in Melody, even after her recent assault on him only minutes earlier. Especially now that he'd finally made a connection.

Wesker, Ada, and Krauser were watching him as he moved over to the unconscious woman. She'd fallen onto her back, arms strewn about her body. Eva had taken hold of one of Melody's hands, waiting for her to regain consciousness. Her eyes lifted to meet his as he knelt on Melody's other side and shook her gently to wake her. She did awaken, with a soft intake of breath and eyes wide open. He had to overcome a sudden urge to go for his weapon as Melody shifted her gaze from Eva to Chris.

"I had the dream again. The one with the two of you in front of the machine I told you about."

Chris didn't understand what that was about and so he ignored the statement from her. He had something else he wanted to find out.

"Listen to me, Melody."

"I did not mean to hurt you," she tried to explain to him. "I do not know why I did what I did. I did not remember the objectives the man in blue gave me until now."

Eva added to what Melody was saying. "Umbrella probably inputted certain commands when they created you and made it so you weren't aware of them. What did you give Chris? What was in that syringe?"

Chris ached to get the answer to what he was wanting to ask Melody but he allowed her the time to answer as she got to her feet, he and Eva doing the same.

"The man in blue gave me two syringes filled with an experimental cure for a virus. Two chances to use on the intended target." Melody told them, looking at Eva when she said this.

"The syringe had a cure? For what?" she questioned.

"An experimental cure, yes." Melody answered. "For the Regenerative virus which Umbrella infected you with

when you were an infant. The project which was abandoned long ago. The man in blue told me this while I was still at the facility where I was born."

The pale woman reached down and took out the second syringe she had mentioned. "The original target was you, Eva. I think I must have used it on Chris because I could see he was infected with the same virus and he is an enemy of Umbrella."

"You saw an opportunity and took it." Wesker acknowledged.

Chris noticed Eva staring into his eyes. He knew what she was searching for. The green specks the virus had formed in his eye as a side effect when he'd been infected were gone, and Eva was finding that out now.

"You're cured," she said. "The experimental cure works. I can be normal."

Chris realized what Eva was getting at and was only beginning to suspect what she was hoping to do, when she went ahead and did it. The green-eyed girl snatched the needle syringe from Melody's hand, popped off the cap with her thumb, and jabbed the needle into the inner part of her upper arm. Everyone bore startled expressions at Eva's reckless action.

The girl stumbled back but righted herself before she could fall. She closed her eyes, her face warping into a grimace. He could tell she was experiencing the same odd sensations of pain he'd felt when Melody had injected him with the fluid. After several moments, she rubbed her right temple with two fingers, then opened her eyes when she lowered her arm back down to her side.

"Ow. That didn't feel good at all," she commented.

Chris gave Wesker a quick glance to find he looked both fearful and furious towards his daughter. He turned back to Eva, really seeing her this time. Familiar blue eyes were watching him and surprise crossed his features even though he should have been expecting this. The cure gave Chris his brown eyes back and that was no startling realization. But Eva's blue eyes were.

He knew Umbrella had Eva infected with the Regenerative virus since she was a baby and a side effect had given her bright green eyes. Now, for the first time, they were all seeing the eye color she'd been born with. Blue. She shared the same eyes as her father had at one time, until he'd died and been resurrected by the virus he had injected himself with ten years back.

"Wow, now you really look like his daughter." Chris said in astonishment.

Eva darted over to the bathroom and disappeared inside. She probably needed to see it to believe it like he had before her. He had gotten sidetracked again. He had yet to speak to Melody about something he might have uncovered.

"Okay, I need to know. Forget about the fact that Eva and I may be human again. At least for now because in the end, it doesn't make a difference."

"It makes enormous difference." Wesker muttered.

Chris ignored him and focused on Melody. "Those eyes of yours are what I want to talk about. I knew I'd seen them before. I just couldn't place where. You told me once, your creator Murphy, was making a bio-weapon capable of controlling and using a machine he'd made. That he was cloning you from another source to create that bio-weapon. Did you ever meet any of the other clones?"

Melody frowned as she though over what he'd said. "Nearly all of the clones died within a few hours or a day after they had been created. There was only one other who lived and flourished as I have. My brother escaped the facility before I ever existed but he came to me once. He wished for me to go with him. I refused his offer because he wanted to do bad things. My brother had become just like the man in blue who created us. He was bad, very bad."

Chris nodded. He felt certain that he'd figured it out.

"Your brother, his name was Dante wasn't it?" He was asking, but he said it in a knowing tone.

"Yes," was Melody's reply as he knew it would be.

Ada and Krauser didn't react much to this revelation. They hadn't been there. Chris, Eva, and Wesker had been in Africa where Dante had messed around with their minds and memories though. Chris looked over towards the bathroom and sure enough, Eva was standing in the opening to the bathroom, staring at Melody.

"Dante's your brother? That sick freak shares the same DNA as you?" she demanded.

She sounded angry, hurt and betrayed.

"Eva..." Wesker started, warningly.

Chris had the situation covered. "Eva, you should take a deep breath and think about it. You don't need to judge Melody based off of whose DNA she shares. She can't help that she was created or where she was created from. I've never made assumptions about you even though God knows I have every right to want to."

"What do you mean?" Eva asked him with a glare. She didn't understand what he was getting at.

He smile humorlessly. "You're the child of my nemesis, Eva. Wesker is the reason Jill's dead. He's the reason a lot of people are dead. But you're not him and I know that. You should give Melody the same respect I give you. Though in her case I do believe a little caution is in order. No offense, Melody."

This time he gave the pale creation a genuine smile before he asked her what he'd been intending to get the answer for this entire time.

"Now Melody, my one question. Where is the facility you were created in?"


	21. The Fallacy of Umbrella

Chapter 20

-The Fallacy of Umbrella-

Their plane landed in North Carolina around one in the afternoon. The private airplane had been provided for them, courtesy of Wesker's seemingly unlimited connections. Chris knew Wesker always had ways of getting things done but he'd never realized how easy it was for him to do so until he started working with him to bring down Umbrella. Though he did wonder if most of the tyrant's connections remained in place simply because they were too afraid of what might happen if they didn't help him out. It was an hour long drive from the landing strip to the Umbrella facility, and their group of six sat in total silence the entire way.

Chris's mind was concentrating on the revenge he would reap once they infiltrated the facility. This time, he didn't care if any of the employees got out before the building exploded. His conscience told him many of the Murphy Pharmaceuticals workers were unaware they were working for the Umbrella Corporation in disguise. Plenty of employees probably didn't even know there were illegal experiments being conducted at all.

But he was ignoring what he knew and had placed mental targets on anyone there because he was beyond angry. Umbrella murdered his sister and thought they'd gotten away with it. Chris hoped they lucked out and the president of Umbrella, Richard Murphy himself, would be inside the facility. He would choke the life out of Murphy with the man's own very expensive tie. Some of his fury was moving further into the recesses of his mind as the nondescript black van drew closer to the Umbrella compound, however, because Melody was beginning to draw his attention.

The pale skinned woman almost appeared to be showing signs of discomfort and nervousness. Chris hadn't thought completely manufactured into birth bio-weapons could really feel emotions but he supposed it did make sense that they were capable of such things when made in the image of a human being. Melody's eyes kept darting in his and Eva's direction from her place behind the driver's seat.

He wasn't sure which one of them she was looking at repeatedly but it was getting to him. It made him think she might know something that she was purposefully keeping from their group. The silence was good for leaving each of them time to physically and mentally gear up for the attack so he didn't try to ask Melody what her glances were all about. He couldn't push it out of his thoughts either though. Not completely.

Chris used the drive to get the feel of how the others were faring as well. There wouldn't be another preventable death like the pilot, Steve, getting killed at the Nevada facility. Not if he could help it. He knew how important it was to familiarize oneself with the conditions of the teammates and be certain they were prepared and of sound mind. For instance, Chris could tell Ada was worried about how he would perform out in the field so soon after suffering a casualty. He knew this because she would shift her eyes to peer at his reflection in the mirror on her visor up front every now and then.

There was good reason for the others to doubt his performance on this mission because of Claire's murder, but Chris wasn't doubting himself even a little. He was so ready to watch Umbrella Corporation crumble to the ground and he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize seeing that happen.

Krauser was sitting behind Ada's seat playing with his combat knife and Chris could tell he was eager to arrive. Someone who toyed with their knife as much as that soldier did probably enjoyed using it to hurt people. He had no qualms about Krauser's readiness. The only member of their team he was worried about was Eva. The two of them were both human again and for him that didn't really change much. The majority of his life he'd been running into danger and come out relatively unscathed, at least physically. With Eva he wasn't so sure.

Apart from Claire's recent death, the young girl hadn't experienced real loss. Yes, she'd died in Africa running out in front of Chris to prevent him from getting killed by Dante. The action had been entirely selfless and brave, and he was concerned she might do something like that again to save one of them if it came to it. If Eva did, she wouldn't come back to life like she had in Africa.

The blonde girl seemed as cured of the virus as he was from the experimental injection. So while they would now be capable of aging like normal human beings, they could both die like them too. Chris felt that odd sensation he always seemed to be feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about Eva for an extended period of time. He still couldn't understand what it was or why he felt it.

Even though Wesker's face was void of any emotion and he wore dark sunglasses over his eyes, Chris knew the black-clad man had the same concern for Eva. He had seen the two of them interact more than enough to know Wesker was every bit capable of being a father worried for his daughter's safety.

The former BSAA member felt the van slowing down. The vehicle drove off the road and came to a stop a few feet within the line of trees by the side of the road. Trees were scattered all around the compound, which Chris could see was now in sight.

"Something's wrong." Wesker said after turning the engine off.

The six of them exited the van and made their way back to the road on foot. Looking upon the Umbrella facility, Chris saw almost immediately what Wesker must have seen. The front gate which allowed access to arriving and departing vehicles with clearance to and from the compound, lay open. The metal of the gate appeared warped and bent inward, as though a large vehicle had rammed straight through it. Chris began to walk towards the damaged gate and he heard the footsteps of the others, signifying they were following. When he was almost at the gate, he drew his handgun. There was a white truck with a crushed hood in flames beside what was likely a guard station just inside the gates. Ada went over to check the guard station and waved a hand once to gain their attention.

"Two guards down. A lot of blood. They're dead." The woman in red peered further into the open doorway. "Single gunshot wound to the back of the head for both."

Eva glanced sideways at her father. "Sounds like a pro."

Krauser narrowed his eyes upwards and scanned the length of the large building before them. "Somebody forced their way in, but I don't think they've found their way out yet. Let's move."

The muscular man had his weapon drawn now and kept it lowered in front of himself as he headed around to the left, following the trail of destruction. It appeared the same large vehicle had veered to the side of the building, leaving tracks and a portion of the side wall caved in. Krauser turned the corner just ahead of Chris and stopped abruptly. He did the same and saw what the other soldier had come upon. One large vehicle hadn't torn up the inner perimeter of the Umbrella facility, but three.

Three big semi trucks sat silently along the side of the building, near a set of double doors and another dead guard. The back sliding doors of all three trucks stood open and after Eva hopped in and out, she reported there were empty gun racks. This had been a full on assault. Chris jogged over to the front of the black semi closest to him and reached up, placing a hand on the metal hood. The metal was still warm, signaling the engines hadn't been turned off too long ago.

"Warm! Hasn't been long!" Chris shouted back to the others.

He noticed Melody starting to wander off, distracted by something no normal person would be fascinated with.

"Melody! You're with me!"

He waited for her to come over to him before proceeding to the double doors. He hesitated right in front of the doors, tightening his grip on the 9mm handgun in his hands.

"Don't wander off," he told Melody, then pushed through one of the doors and stepped inside.

A pale colored hallway lay straight ahead, a fork at the end of it. Chris glanced over his shoulder and waved Eva to the left. She nodded in understanding and headed forward and to the left. Krauser followed her and Wesker outpaced them both, taking the lead. That left Chris, Melody, and Ada to follow the hallway on the right.

He started down the corridor with Melody practically stepping on his heels every five seconds. Ada kept to the back, remaining vigilant but refraining from drawing her weapon. While Chris was alert, sweeping his gaze from side to side, Ada was the opposite. She merely walked casually along behind them, as if she did this sort of thing all the time and there was no need to be careful. It made him uneasy but he did have the feeling Ada could hold her own if anything happened.

Chris slowed his steps. Two doors lay ahead and a left turn. He turned the handle on the first door. Locked. He moved on to the second door and this one opened easily. The room beyond contained obvious sleeping quarters for some of the employees. Six identical bunk beds lined the room, along with a set of lockers and two writing desks. Ada went to check out the lockers while Chris made his way to the desks with Melody. There was nothing that caught his eye on or around the first desk. He turned towards the second desk where Melody was opening and shutting drawers at random. The former agent doubted she knew what to search for.

He joined her and looked on as she checked out the desk. Melody was about to shut one of the bottom drawers when he spotted something which piqued his interest. He placed a hand on her arm to halt her movement.

"Wait."

She paused and lowered her arm back to her side, stepping out of his way. Chris pulled out a compact, dark red book. It looked to be a journal belonging to one of the employees. He flipped the journal open. The pages were dated so he searched through until he got to the last couple of entries. The first entry he came to read was dated four days earlier.

'Played poker with some of the dayshift guards last night. No luck again. Lost over a hundred bucks. Should really stop gambling but there's nothing else to do in this creepy place. Greg and I went exploring after the game out of boredom when our shift started. Wanted to see what those obsessive lab guys are always up to at all hours of the night. I swear those scientists never sleep.

The people in charge here are up to way more than making medicines no doubt about that. Greg and I found out for ourselves when we explored the second basement level. In one of the labs, there was a sleeping man in a large cylinder full of some kind of fluid, connected to all sorts of tubes. What was he doing in there? Human testing is illegal. What the hell is going on around here? -Neil'

Chris had read the entry silently in his head while Melody stood close by. When he looked up he found she was done searching the desk and currently was scanning her eyes across the numerous bunks filling up most of the space in the room. Ada was still opening lockers and searching through each one but she paused to look over in their direction. Ada's gaze met his casual one and took notice of the journal in his hands.

"Anything of interest in there? Read the last couple of entries. Might give us some information about what's going on in this facility. Could tell us what we might have to deal with."

He glanced back down at the pages of the journal. "The next one in here is relatively short. From three days ago."

Melody was shifting towards him to listen as well as Chris began to read.

"Greg was more disturbed by that guy we saw yesterday in the tank full of liquid than I was. Said he was going back down to the second basement level to see what else he could find. I'm not sure I even want to know what else could be down there. -Neil"

Chris silently agreed with the security guard in his head. Umbrella did a lot of questionable things, especially when it involved their experiments and test subjects. These journal entries were proving what he suspected all along. These security guards thought they worked for a pharmaceutical company, not a corporation which performed secret experiments in an attempt to create biological weapons for maximum effect on the world.

He moved on to read aloud the second to last entry. This one was dated two days ago and the writing was scribbled sloppily, only just legible, as if the guard had jotted his thoughts down in a hurry.

"Greg never came back from the B2 labs. When I asked my supervisor, he told me Greg had quit and was gone for good. We're friends, he would never leave without telling me. He didn't even take any of his stuff with him! I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

Chris went to the last and final entry in this Neil person's journal.

"Man in blue..inject..can't think. Greg's dead..feel warm, burning...itchy, itchy. So hungry but too sick to get up..want food..pete come..smell yummy so I eats him..taste good but still hungry. Can't thinky..tired..want food..so hungry..hungry..."

He closed the book, frowning. Ada shared his look and was the one to voice what they were both wondering.

"Am I correct in assuming the one who wrote in the journal became infected with the T-Virus? Umbrella is still trying to use that zombie-making disaster of a virus?"

It didn't make sense to Chris. The T-Virus had all but failed Umbrella and he'd figured they had no more use for the virus. It had created far more trouble for the corporation than any of their other viruses. The T-Virus had been the most unpredictable of their viruses and created mindless beings. The closest to control they had for subjects infected with the T-Virus was with the tyrant model, capable only of being programmed with a few instructions to follow. Basically, Umbrella had long ago moved on to more..productive means of infecting test subjects and had little use for the T-Virus any more.

"He wrote 'man in blue'." Chris pointed out, trying to figure this out as he thought vocally. "Melody used the same phrase to describe Murphy so he must have been the one to infect the guy with the T-Virus, which means Murphy is probably here."

Ada appeared to agree with most of what he was stipulating but not all of it.

"What I can't seem to understand is if the president of Umbrella is here in this facility, why would he purposefully infect an employee with the T-Virus and then let him wander about, free to infect others?"

Chris didn't really have an answer for her. He tried his best to come up with one though.

"Maybe he grabbed whatever was handy to stop this guy's snooping. Maybe he didn't mean for the guard to get away after he infected him with the virus."

He set the journal down on the desk and glanced Melody's way. "Or maybe your creator is just sick and twisted enough to intentionally let the T-Virus spread throughout his facility."

Melody tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "In preparation for an imminent attack possibly?"

Chris nodded. Exactly what he had been thinking. Ada closed the last of the lockers in what had turned out to be a fruitless investigation into the employees' belongings and locked eyes with him.

"It seems Murphy may be at last coming to the conclusion that we're on to him."

The words barely left Ada's mouth when an explosion echoed from a fair distance away, but close enough to cause the walls and floor to vibrate briefly. Chris narrowed his eyes like he would when he wasn't quite sure of what was going on. He voiced what occurred to him then as soon as it did.

"Or at least that someone is on to him."

They were definitely not alone in the building and not the only ones bent on violence aimed at Umbrella.


	22. Legacy

Chapter 21

-Legacy-

"The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct system has been activated," the computerized female voice informed anyone in the building through an intercom system installed over the entire compound.

The constant warning siren blaring in the Umbrella president's ears was driving him to the edge. Richard Murphy made his way quickly over to the control panel in the override room hidden behind a bookshelf in his main office within the North Carolina facility. He couldn't let this facility detonate. Not another one. The expensively dressed man typed in the password necessary to override the self-destruct command and waited for the confirmation it had gone through.

"The self-destruct system has been deactivated. System preparing for reset," the female computer's voice confirmed.

Murphy didn't have time to wait around and reset the system. He had other matters to attend to. There were numerous trespassers in his compound and though he'd spread the T-Virus around to hinder the intruders, eventually they would reach the basement levels. He couldn't risk them finding his most beloved possession.

The blue suited man hurried out of the override room and back into his office. He went behind his desk and flipped a switch under the desk. The two monitors on his desktop switched on, showing him security feed for the entire complex. Murphy smoothed his dark hair back habitually, eyes flickering across the constantly changing camera views.

He knew the trespassers were in three groups from what the video surveillance had shown him before. One of the groups was currently in the process of being wiped out by a group of zombified employees. A second group was making their way around the first basement level. He wasn't concerned about them. There was nothing damaging that they could find there.

Murphy was trying to locate the third group when a different image caught his eye. That damned Redfield was moving down a hallway on the first floor with a handgun held at the ready. The woman in the red dress who'd broken into his Nevada facility was with him. He hadn't anticipated them showing up in another one of his facilities so soon. There was a third person with them. Murphy squinted harder at the monitor as they came into better view of the camera. Melody. Melody had walked right into his facility and back to him.

A smile spread across his face. Murphy no longer needed to search for his latest cloned subject. She had come to him. Now all he had to do was find a way to get her to where the machine was kept. But he needed to get her away from the other two she was with first. His fingers tapped a few keys and on the left monitor, an image of the prison area on basement level one appeared.

A few more taps and the camera switched to show the interior of cell B. The female prisoner inside was pacing the length of her tiny cell. She paused in her striding and planted a swift kick against the cell door with no result whatsoever. The pacing resumed again.

Murphy noticed something moving on one of the cameras in the hall outside of the cells. It seemed the explosions from the intruders dressed in the dark green fatigues had resulted in the release of some of his..more playful subjects. One such subject known as a licker, was making its way along the ceiling, down the corridor from the only occupied cell. The skinless creature with red muscle enveloping the entire length of its considerable size, that of a full grown man, was crawling on all fours across the hall's ceiling towards the prisoner's cell. Lickers were blind but they could most certainly hear and it appeared the woman's kick to her cell door had attracted the sharp clawed being.

He hadn't intended on playing this hand so soon but he was out of options at this point because of those fools in the trucks who dared attack his facility. Murphy inputted the passcode to unlock the door to cell B to release the prisoner his spy had retrieved for him. He wondered briefly how she would fair against a licker unarmed. If she managed to run away, he doubted she'd get far with all those virus carriers wandering mindlessly about the place. And if she was killed...

The man smoothed down his already perfectly combed back hair, not a single strand out of place, and looked at the camera observing Redfield and his two companions' progress. They'd come to the elevator and with a few taps on his keyboard, Murphy ensured the elevator would automatically take them to the first basement level which contained the prison area.

Lickers tended to hunt in packs so he figured this would keep the three of them busy for at least a little while. Redfield should really thank him for this opportunity. After all, he was reuniting him with his sister. Maybe they could even die together. Now he just had to get his creation away from those marked for dead. He smiled. He should have thought of this before.

"Iris."

A pale woman with a full head of long green hair and a greenish tinge to her entire body stepped seemingly out of nowhere. It was as though she had come through the wall. Murphy knew better. This creation in the skin-tight black sneak suit had the attributes of a chameleon. She was capable of blending into any surface or matter, such as the wall of his office, which was where he'd left her last. The Umbrella president looked up from his computer screens.

"Iris, bring me the cloned woman."

The woman blinked once at him, her seaweed green eyes that matched her hair, stared at him. "I sense her presence. First floor, moving to the basement."

"Well why don't you be there to greet her." Murphy suggested with a hint of impatience, the words coming out as more of an order than a suggestion.

"She is not alone. What of the others?"

The blue-suited man was already back observing his surveillance cameras and he didn't bother to look up as he answered her.

"Dispose of them if they get in your way. But you have one primary objective and that is retrieving the clone, understood?"

"Yes." Iris replied and then she literally sank through the floor and was gone.

Something caught Murphy's attention now and he was quite disturbed by it. Redfield hadn't come alone with the two women. Making their way around the second floor of the facility was Albert Wesker, his daughter, and the unidentified man dressed in combat gear that Murphy had seen at the other facility not too long ago. His office was on the third floor. He cursed to himself.

He'd hoped when his spy activated the assassination instructions he'd programmed into Melody upon creation, she would have gotten rid of the Wesker girl but it seemed something had failed in that regard. He couldn't afford to have Wesker here either. The tyrant was someone who could cause a great deal of trouble for him.

His mind raced with sudden realizations he had refused to let enter his mind until then. Everything was falling apart. He couldn't let it. Umbrella's legacy was his to uphold. The corporation had been left in his care and he had kept its continued existence a secret until recently. Murphy was so close to the activation of his machine that he could already feel the power it would bring to Umbrella. He felt the machine sucking him in every time he was in the same room as it, just to look at it for a while and imagine what it would bring to the world. The planet would be theirs to rule and one day he would create the evolutionized world Oswell Spencer had always dreamed of. They'd worked too long and hard to see the corporation go under now. He had worked too long and hard to let that happen.

Both of his hands tightened into fists as his anger built up. Melody was within his grasp and once he brought her to the machine and the Obliterator was activated, no one would be able to stand in their way. Umbrella Corporation would at last have succeeded, their legacy of world domination, fulfilled.

Murphy's fists loosened and his mind was wiped of those thoughts completely. Was he imagining things or had there been a loud scratching sound from somewhere in the hallway outside of his office? He walked over to the door and opened it, stepping out of his office and glancing in both directions. Nothing but silence greeted him. Then he saw the source of the noise.

A virus carrier came teetering around the corner, shambling awkwardly against one wall. It took the zombie a few moments to finally realize it couldn't walk any further into a wall and the carrier shifted slightly, walking forward in Murphy's direction. How the T-Virus carrier managed to make his way up to the third floor, he didn't know.

He adjusted his tie, the only tell that the sight of a zombie had gotten to his nerves. Otherwise, he was the picture of calm and composed. Leaving his office door open, Murphy went over to his desk and removed his .45 handgun from the bottom drawer on the right. The gun held a seven round clip and he chambered a round as he returned to the hall. It might have been a good while since he'd been on Umbrella's special forces but the knowledge of how to expertly use a firearm never left him.

The zombie had worked its way further down the hall and was only a half dozen feet away from his office. Murphy aimed and fired a shot into the virus carrier's forehead. Blood and brain matter splattered against the walls as its head exploded. He watched in smug satisfaction as the carrier dropped to the floor. This smug demeanor of his dissipated when one of the walls at the end of the corridor caved outward as something big burst through it. Tyrant, the first version ever created by Umbrella, and the first one made since the original tyrant was destroyed in the Arklay labs over ten years ago, came through the busted wall.

The grayish tinged muscular form of the creature which stood at least ten feet tall, had long claws on both hands. One hand's claws extended even further than the other hand. It was obvious Tyrant had once been human by the humanoid shape and its head. One noticeable difference was the skin peeled away on the face, exposing muscle and teeth, giving it the appearance of having a permanent grin.

This was all wrong. Tyrant was never meant to have been awakened. Murphy created this version of the tyrant, version T-002, merely as a symbolic gesture. A representation of the creation of the T-Virus, the first successful biological weaponized virus Umbrella ever made, and the virus which had led to the creation of many more viruses. That symbol of Umbrella Corporation's success was lumbering towards him at present, with a blank, glazed over look in its eyes. But the menace in its steps was there.

Tyrant wasn't awakened for another reason besides being meant as a mere representation. This particular creature was a rather simple, mindless being that could be programmed to follow specified instructions. When Tyrant hadn't been programmed with anything, however, it resorted to seeking out and killing any life-form it sensed.

Murphy stared up at the giant creature as it predictably came for him. He ducked back into his office, closing the door behind him. He pulled the book which opened the secret entrance to his override room. He was hoping he could hide in there until Tyrant got distracted and went off elsewhere. Unfortunately the shelf had just finished moving to the side to reveal the entrance when the wall to his office broke apart. The shelf would never close behind him in time. Murphy did the only thing someone who was desperate could think to do. He tried to run.

He attempted to run past it, aiming for the gap in the wall. The finely groomed man managed to get past but felt a claw rake against his back, spilling blood. Murphy stumbled and fell. He got back to his feet in time for Tyrant's clawed hand to stab into one of his legs. He cried out and never even saw the other hand coming to swipe at him with those enormous claws. The front of his suit ripped, the claws digging into flesh and bone. Murphy collapsed onto his back, spasming sporadically as blood gushed from his fresh wounds, and he knew he was dying.

He became vaguely aware Tyrant was turning away, seemingly attracted by something else it sensed. Bullets rang out, some sort of automatic weapon. More than one of these guns was being used he saw as he caught sight of men in camouflaged outfits. Blood ran into his eyes from a deep gash he'd gotten on his forehead and he felt light-headed. He was losing too much blood and the pain began to recede, his body becoming numb to everything. The gunfire abruptly cut off or maybe his hearing was going too.

There was a man standing over him now. The man wore camouflage like the others there but was a little lighter on the gear and wore nothing to conceal his face. His face looked messed up. The man was speaking, Murphy couldn't really concentrate on him though. Something about a brother, maybe? The man standing over him stopped talking and pointed a gun down in his face, and he did hear what the man said next.

"Skye says goodbye you bastard."

The man's finger tightened on the trigger after those words were spoken and there was only darkness for Murphy as a bullet bringing death with it, pierced his skull.


	23. How to Win a Losing Fight

Chapter 22

-How to Win a Losing Fight-

Eva followed Krauser up the stairway to the third floor. Wesker came behind them, lingering at the back of their trio by several paces. There was nothing of particular interest on the side of first floor they'd explored and nothing on the second floor either. On the second story there had been several offices, a breakroom with a couple of sofas and vending machines, and a few storage areas with boxes or empty cages.

She was itching for some sort of action right about now. The only sign of life in the areas the three of them explored so far were four zombies. Eva didn't miss the irony that the living dead were what was livening up this mission. She thought she might want to revoke her wish for something more to happen when Krauser threw himself to the left as soon as he exited the stairwell off of the third floor landing. He called out a warning to move.

But as most people react by looking when someone tells them to look out or move, Eva set her gaze straight ahead to see why he was leaping sideways and calling out. Only quick reflexes saved her from being impaled by the long, thick claws of a tyrant. From her crouched position, she lifted her eyes to scan the monster over. She had never seen a tyrant of this outdated version awakened. This specific class of tyrant had been deemed unusable for active operation by the Umbrella Corporation. The tyrant towering over Eva's small frame had been bred with one purpose, to seek out and exterminate living, breathing organisms.

The teenage girl didn't have time to think about it any more. The sizable creature had succeeded in ripping its claws from the plastered wall and was searching for her as she ran past it. It turned its bald, gray head to look over its shoulder, eyes locating her. And then Krauser dug his knife deep into Tyrant's chest. The creature leaned back, away from Krauser, and tried to sweep lethal claws to decapitate the muscular soldier. He ducked, avoiding the sharp instruments of death narrowly, and Wesker arrived.

The original tyrant didn't stand a chance against the tyrant birthed from the Wesker Project and subsequent experimental injection. Eva watched with wide eyes as her father stepped through the doorway between the stairwell and the hall on the third floor. He twisted around and kicked the knife further into the gray tyrant's flesh. As the creature fell forward onto one knee, Wesker tore the knife out and sliced deep across its throat. The head toppled off and the rest of Tyrant collapsed with a heavy thud.

She really shouldn't have been surprised and she wasn't, but she was impressed. Wesker flipped the combat knife around so Krauser could take it by the handle, before turning to her.

"Are you alright?"

Eva rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, dad. Oh. Hello."

She'd turned away from her father and Krauser to find three men in green camouflage outfits, fully equipped with weapons and other gear, standing relatively close to their position. The three men stood very still. They wore masks but their eyes were visible and they were staring at Eva and her two companions. Silence reigned for a full five seconds. Then three other men dressed identically to the other three already standing there, came out of a room on the right. One of these newcomers didn't have a mask on and he was the one who approached her. The leader of the other armed men it would seem.

"I take it you're not with Umbrella," the man without a mask presumed.

Eva didn't get the chance to say anything because Wesker stepped in front her, partially obscuring her view of the six camouflaged men.

"And you would be?"

The unidentified man didn't answer, instead looking him up and down with his deep blue eyes. Eva took the opportunity to do the same for the stranger. The man looked to be about 40 years of age, light brown hair cut relatively short, and scars. It was worse than the slightly faded scars Krauser bore on his face. This man's left arm was covered in burns and there was a horrible scar extending from above his right eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, and to the left side of his chin in a jagged line. There were light burns covering the left part of his face as well. Something bad had happened to this man.

The heavily scarred stranger decided to answer her father after all. "My name is Darius, Darius Greene. These men with me are hired guns, mercenaries."

Eva heard Krauser speak up from behind her. "You people are the ones who've been destroying Umbrella facilities. You're the ones who attacked this compound."

She peered over her shoulder, looking back at him. "How do you know that?"

Krauser started playing with his combat knife, eyes staring daggers at Greene and the others.

"Ada."

He said no more on the subject. Darius was keeping his gaze on Wesker. He seemed to sense her dad was the one with the power and authority among the three of them.

"That's right. And it seems we both have the same goal in mind. I bring good news if this is the case. Richard Murphy is dead. Umbrella is finished."

She was beyond stunned. "You-you mean..it's over?"

Wesker raised an eyebrow skeptically and asked where the Umbrella president's body was. Greene stepped to his right and gestured towards the room he'd come out of. There had probably once been a door, but there was a gaping hole now, the result of Tyrant wanting entrance most likely.

Before her father could order her to stay behind or go with, she walked past her dad and the soldiers, passing through the hole in the wall. Immediately, Eva got the impression that the room was familiar to her. It was an office with bookshelves lining two of the four walls, a large window straight ahead, and an expensive looking desk near the window. A very nice chair sat behind the desk and a computer with two monitors rested on top of the polished surface of the desk. She had seen this room somewhere. But where?

As if he'd been reading her thoughts, Krauser gave an answer for her. "This is where Murphy must have been when he was on the screen in the Nevada laboratory, after he put Chris in his little trap."

She remembered and it angered her. It was when Murphy had announced to the entire room that she was in love with Chris. So what if it was true? She could like who she wanted. So then why had it bothered her so much when Murphy had read her feelings off her face like she was an open book? She liked to think she was exceptionally talented at keeping her emotions under the surface so no one could see them. But when it came to matters concerning Chris, apparently she was terrible at hiding what she felt.

Maybe what was bothering her, wasn't her inability to hide what she felt for the former BSAA soldier. Maybe what bothered her was that if it was so obvious she liked Chris, why couldn't he see it like everyone else could?Was he dense when it came to matters such as love? Or was it that he just didn't feel the same and so he was ignoring it, hoping she would change her mind about what she felt or something. Eva almost wished the former, because then at least she had the chance that Chris felt the same for her.

Her thoughts fell away as her scan of the room finally found Murphy's body. He laid along the wall on her right, a large amount of blood pooled around the body. What had been a meticulously groomed man now had a mutilated leg and a chest torn to shreds. On closer inspection, there was also a bullet hole in his forehead. Someone had made certain he was good and dead.

Krauser seemed to see what had drawn her gaze and went over to the body, needlessly checking for a pulse. Could never be too careful, Eva supposed. Especially since things have a tendency to come back from the dead where Umbrella's involved... she thought to herself. She was satisfied Murphy was very dead and went around to the other side of his desk, thinking she would search through it for the heck of it.

The monitors drew her attention, however, when she found they were displaying surveillance images. One of them in particular caught her eye. In the upper left corner of the video it read; 'CAM 3, B1.' And there was Chris, Ada, and Melody coming out of an elevator. The licker crawling around above and then hopping down from the ceiling in front of one of the cells was what got her paying rapt attention though.

Beside that image was video from another camera and this one filmed inside of one of the cells, the cell the licker was so attracted to and for good reason. There was someone inside the cell, a woman. She was backing away from the opened doorway to the cell, cornered by the ugly monster, its long tongue flicking dangerously around. Eva couldn't believe her own eyes when she recognized who was trapped in the cell.

"Wesker!"

He saw the licker after taking two steps out of the elevator on the first basement level. The creature didn't appear to hear their arrival, currently preoccupied with some other object of interest. Chris raised his gun to fire on the licker before it did notice their presence and attacked. He never got to pulling the trigger though, because something hit him from behind. There was a dart sticking in his shoulder blade. He yanked it out with a wince and tossed it to the floor. His vision wavered and he felt dizzy.

Chris blinked rapidly, hoping to clear up his eyesight. When his vision returned to normal, he turned around in Ada and Melody's direction. Both women were looking at him with identically confused expressions.

Keeping his gun poised to shoot, he started down the corridor. To his right were three holding cells and of course the licker, which was shifting its body in the direction of Chris and his two companions. He was careful to keep his eyes open to his surroundings. Where there was one licker, another usually wasn't far behind. A loud peal of laughter echoed down the hall, sounding feminine and a bit devious too.

Chris snapped his head up to search for the source of the laughter and could have sworn he'd seen a shadow disappear around the turn in the hallway. He took off running, giving chase to the elusive person shooting darts at people. Awareness that a second licker was crawling above him on the ceiling did not even give him pause. He ran right past it and shouted back a warning to Ada and Melody.

Ada called after him that she could handle the lickers and there was also the sound of footsteps close behind. Melody had followed after him. As long as she didn't freak out and kill him by draining the area of oxygen, he figured it'd be all right. That's right Chris, think optimistically. It's not like you just went running after someone who in all likelihood wants to kill you.

Chris rounded the corner and ran to the end of the hall prepared to take another left turn, when he heard the laughter again, this time from behind. He stopped in his tracks and glanced back at Melody.

"Anything?"

The pale blonde-haired woman shook her head in response. Then her eyes focused on a point somewhere over his left shoulder and she mutely pointed. He spun around, gun poised to shoot, in time to see a humanoid shape literally emerge from out of a wall. The form was the exact color of the white plaster wall, explaining why it'd been so difficult to determine what he'd seen running away. Didn't help matters that whatever it was could move through walls.

As they watched, the color of the wall began to dissipate, leaving behind a woman with seaweed green eyes and long, stringy hair that fell down her shoulders, color matching the shade of her eyes. She wore a form-fitting sneak suit that reminded him of the one his deceased partner Jill Valentine had worn while under Wesker's chemical induced control over her body.

Where the outfit left skin exposed, Chris saw the skin appeared almost greenish. On appearance alone, the soldier knew she wasn't human or naturally born for that matter. He blinked and the next second she was starting to sink into the floor, a glimmer of a sneer growing on her face.

"I am known as Iris. Thought you might like to know who is going to take your life."

Chris felt his vision grow fuzzy again, the light-headed feeling returning. "Ugh, what did you shoot me with?"

Now only her upper torso and head remained above the floor. "A mild sedative which didn't put you to sleep as it was meant to. However, your movements will be sluggish, your thought process slowed. You are still easy prey for me."

He glared at her, trying to aim his weapon through the haze that was his compromised vision. Dante had used the same thing on him during his African mission, to try and make killing him easier. This Iris woman was turning out to be a real bitch. He fired his weapon twice but whether the bullets would have hit her or not became irrelevant when she disappeared beneath the floor.

"Keep your eyes open!" he yelled back to Melody as he ran over to the spot where Iris had vanished.

"Chris!"

He turned back to find Iris with an arm wrapped around Melody's neck, dragging her away and towards the wall behind them.

"I'm taking her with me. She belongs to my creator. She belongs here with him."

Iris began to morph and change, her color becoming that of the wall as her back fell against it.

"Sorry," a new voice offered. "But she belongs with us."

Chris knew that voice and knew he needed to use the opportunity granted to him when Iris stared in surprise at the person standing around the corner, out of Chris's direct eyesight. He blinked his vision clear and shot her, avoiding Melody with perfect precision as he nailed Iris twice in the head. Hearing the shots, new surprise managed to appear on her face and she died that way, eternally frozen with a look of astonishment at her own defeat.

Melody stepped away from the fallen woman. She'd kept calm through the entire ordeal. The owner of the voice came around the corner with a big grin on her face.

"Chris, someone really wants to see you." Eva told him. "Oh and before we get to that, Umbrella is done for. Murphy's dead. Saw his body myself."

He felt like his head was spinning and not just because of the sedative he'd been dosed with. Umbrella had been defeated? The president of the corporation dead? And then someone came around the corner to stand next to Eva which made him feel as though this could only be a dream. His sister, Claire, was standing there with a grin that could match Eva's own.

"C-Claire?" he managed to choke out.

If it was even possible, her smile seemed to grow even larger. "So I hear Umbrella made you think I was dead. And I thought you were dead for a while there too. Guess that makes us even."

Chris stood there gaping at her. Move idiot. Say something, his brain said to him in a scolding tone.

"Claire!"

He came rapidly towards her and she did the same. They hugged tightly, holding onto one another for the longest time. Chris felt afraid that if he let her go, she wouldn't be real any more. This all seemed too good to be true. They'd finally succeeded in destroying the Umbrella Corporation, Richard Murphy was dead, and Chris's sister was still very much alive. When he finally pulled apart from her, he found Ada, Krauser, and Wesker had joined them.

"I don't agree with this." Wesker said to them all. "It feels..unfinished."

Chris felt his elated spirit slowly start to diminish. Was he right? It had all happened so fast.

"I suggest we find our way out of this facility in a timely manner."

Ada and Chris, whose weapons were already out, had their guns aimed at the speaker in less than half of a second. Krauser, Wesker, and Eva all had their hands placed on their own holstered weapons in that timeframe as well.

"HUNK?" Eva uttered, startled to see him as much as Chris was.

For there in front of their group, the special ops soldier for Umbrella stood, wearing his black gas mask and combat outfit and gear of the same color.

"Greene has taken over this facility and intends to fulfill Umbrella's legacy whether he is aware of it or not. The activation of the Obliterator is only a matter of time now." HUNK informed all of them.

"You work for Umbrella so don't you want that too?" Chris asked, his confusion evident in his voice.

He was puzzled as to why HUNK was even talking to them. And who was Greene anyway? He hated when he had more questions than answers.

"Greene hates Umbrella. I assume he told you about the Skye Project and its connection with the machine?"

Eva, Wesker, and Krauser, all appeared to understand what he was talking about. Chris, meanwhile, was completely in the dark. He'd never heard of the project and he'd forgotten about the machine. He wasn't about to forget about it anytime soon now though.

"Well I''ll bet he forgot to mention Skye is his brother. And he will do whatever it takes to make sure his brother didn't suffer and become a vegetable in a test tube for nothing. Greene has love for nothing. He will see this planet crumble and break before he is able to be at peace."

"We've got to find that machine and destroy it if we're going to stop Umbrella's goals from killing this world." Eva declared, her face filled with resolve.

Chris nodded in complete agreement. "I'm in."

"Not really a choice here." Ada commented. "So I guess I'm in too."

Krauser grunted his assent and Wesker seemed mildly irritated but affirmed his continued alliance with their makeshift team.

"Myself and my men are with you." HUNK informed them. "Nobody can hire us if everyone is dead. Our interests align with yours."

Chris wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that when the words came from an assassin-for-hire. As usual, they needed allies where they could get them. Seemingly taking their silence as confirmation of a new alliance, HUNK took off jogging down the hall after saying, "You know how to reach me."

He personally, hadn't a clue of how to reach the man, but he figured someone like Wesker would know and so he didn't concern himself with the issue of communication.

"Why don't we go find this Greene guy right now? HUNK said he was in the building. You guys apparently

talked to this guy, right? So let's finish this here and now." Chris suggested.

Wesker shook his head. "We need to find that machine before Greene does and destroy it before it is activated. Darius Greene is powerless without the Obliterator. We need to go. Now. Once he realizes a clone is in the building capable of wielding his precious weapon, he'll come after her."

As their group made their way quickly to the elevator, Chris couldn't help but feel his emotions run rampant. As relieved as he was that Claire was alive and with him, he felt such anger and disappointment. They were so close to ending their mission. Umbrella was destroyed for good but their legacy lived on and so now they needed to stop Umbrella's goal of world domination from becoming reality. Their feeling of victory had been short-lived with this realization. Who did this Darius Greene guy think he was?

He sighed to himself as the elevator doors shut in front of him and their group of seven headed up to the first level. As the elevator moved, he found himself thinking, So close, and yet so very, very far.


	24. The End is Far From Here

Chapter 23

-The End is Far From Here-

After returning to Collarson and filling one another in on the events which transpired while separated in the Umbrella facility, Chris remained outside the cabin with Claire. Wesker had offered to arrange transport to get Claire home safely, she was currently residing in New York City, but Chris turned him down. He refused to allow his sister to travel with anyone he didn't completely trust. So now they waited outside for her to get picked up. The former BSAA agent had made arrangements on the plane ride back to Colorado. He had been so ecstatic about Claire still being alive that he hadn't gotten around to actually finding out what had happened the day he'd thought he lost his sister forever.

"Hey Claire, how are you doing?"

Her blue eyes narrowed, mood dampening considerably. "That's like the fifth time you've asked me since you found out I wasn't dead."

Actually, it was the seventh time.

"Chris, I'm standing right in front of you, alive and well. I'm okay. I got locked up for a night by another psycho. Nothing I haven't been through before. And as usual, I made it out unscathed."

"Did you?"

Claire let out a frustrated sigh. "You know the answer. I did and I always have."

He couldn't help it. He couldn't let this go. At least not until he was satisfied with what she was telling him. He had to know what had gone wrong that day.

"Claire what happened? Your car exploded. But apparently without you in it."

"Yeah." His sister grew somber quickly. "Yeah, some guy snatched me right after you and me parted ways. Put me in his car and injected me with something that knocked me right out. When I woke up I was in that cell. I could smell Umbrella's stench all over my kidnapping. End of story. I knew I'd find a way out one way or another. You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

Chris had to smile at those last words. "You can take care of yourself, huh? How come when I tell you that about me, you can't seem to hear it?"

His sister smiled gently. "I suppose that's true. I have the right to worry about my big brother."

"And I have the right to be concerned for my little sister."

"So it's settled. You and I can worry all we want about one another." Claire stated.

"So I don't suppose you'll come with me to New York? Forget about this mission to find some potentially catastrophic device that could cause irreparable damage to the innocent people populating this planet?"

"Sorry Claire. I'm not giving up now. Too much bad has happened because of Umbrella. Until it's a hundred percent that Umbrella Corporation is in the ground, I'm not finished working. You understand, right?"

This elicited another sigh from Claire. "Of course I do. I always have. I just don't want to."

"Claire..."

"Don't think too much on this, Chris. I just hate seeing you surrounded by all this danger. When this whole thing with Umbrella is over, come visit me in New York, okay?"

He only smiled softly. Silence reigned for the next few moments. Claire's sneaker was scuffing the dirt, kicking a thin twig away from herself. Chris found his eyes drawn to the minor movement until his sister spoke again.

"I do remember something. It's probably stupid and useless, but it's all I can seem to remember about the man who dragged me away and drugged me."

"What? What can you remember? If this guy is still around, I'm gonna make sure he's locked up for what he did to you." Chris declared.

"Not to mention being a part of an illegal, plus immoral corporation, hell bent on changing the world to their own conceived perfect world," added Claire.

He gave her a no-nonsense stare until she dropped the humorous grin on her face.

"What do you remember about the man who took you?"

She straightened her posture and got serious. "I only remember because it seemed like an odd thing. The guy injected me with the sedative or whatever drug it was and while he waited for me to pass out, he kept licking his teeth. Tracing each one maybe even. It probably doesn't help you much in finding him." Claire admitted. "But it's all I can remember. I hate that I can't recall anything more."

"It's alright, Claire. You did the best you could under the circumstances and you made it out alive. Focus on that."

Claire laughed softly. "Now he gets it."

She smiled to show him she was only kidding around.

He managed to smile back at her. "Yeah, yeah. Well, looks like your ride's here."

Sure enough, a black SUV was pulling up to the cabin, passing carefully through the trees that were on all sides of the four-door vehicle. The newly arrived vehicle came to a stop a few yards from where Chris and his sister were standing and the engine shut off. The door on the driver's side opened and a man just under six feet in height came out of the vehicle. He wore a brown jacket and had blue eyes gazing intently at the two of them. The barely in his thirties, rather handsome man, ran fingers through his boyishly cut, light brown hair and smiled at them.

"Hey Chris, it's been a while. Still haven't learned how to avoid trouble, have you Claire?"

Leon S. Kennedy stood just outside the driver's door of his SUV. He walked over to the Redfield siblings and extended his hand toward Chris. The former BSAA agent shook the hand of the current government agent firmly and returned his smile.

"Good to see you again, Leon."

"Rumor was that you were dead. Looks like the government got it wrong."

Chris had to force the smile this time. "Yeah, government gets it wrong a lot."

He looked on as Leon turned his attention to Claire. "Ever get tired of escaping viral infected buildings?"

"Chris told you about that, huh?"

"Yeah, he did. These situations seem to find you, don't they?"

He inwardly smiled at Leon's comment. Dangerous situations involving Umbrella and other pharmaceutical corporations didn't find Claire. It was more like his sister actively sought out dangerous situations in an attempt to remedy things. She was the kind of person who wanted to save everyone, no matter how great the challenge. The reddish-brown haired woman took after her older brother in a big way after all, he thought to himself with a grin.

"Chris, I'm taking Melody-oh."

Ada stopped short of her sentence as she came out of the cabin, slipping her PDA into a holder beneath her red dress strapped to one of her thighs. Leon's eyes widened in astonishment at seeing the woman with whom he had quite a bit of history. Surviving Raccoon City with her, and in Europe when he'd been on a personal mission for the President. Ada Wong had always been on the opposing side of Leon, but had gone out of her way to save his life on more than one occasion. This really had to have been confusing to the American agent greatly, and seeing her standing before him so suddenly, startling.

"Ada!"

"Leon! I..didn't know you were the one picking up Claire."

"Uh, yeah. That's why I'm here. Why are you here?"

"Oh, you know, saving the world and all that."

"Sure you are. Doing missions on the side too I'm sure." Leon accused in a nondescript tone.

Ada didn't bother to respond, only held his eyes in a long gaze, a shimmer of possible sadness reflecting in her eyes. But then the moment ended and she returned to her previous thoughts.

"I'm taking Melody to the theater in town. She says it's time for her to sing."

"Sing? What?" Chris asked, grasping for what Ada was talking about.

Eva came outside right then and having overheard what they were discussing, she filled in the blanks for him.

"The machine, Chris! Maybe the song will show you and I the location!"

"You mean it might show us the location." Wesker's voice said from inside the cabin and then he was coming outside with Krauser.

"What are you talking about?" Eva solicited.

Wesker appeared only too glad to answer her. "You and Chris will be staying right here in this cabin, Claire is going home, and the rest of us are going to observe Melody's performance; Find if there is anything to her claims of foreseeing the future."

Chris became highly annoyed at hearing this. What did Wesker mean he and Eva were staying behind? There was no way that was going to happen. Before he got the chance to express this newfound anger, Leon beat him to it with fury of his own.

"What's going on? Krauser! You're still alive?!"

Chris's eyes widened. He'd completely let it slip his mind, the history between Krauser and Leon. The two had worked together for the government in the past. Krauser had faked his own death to go work for Wesker and Umbrella when the government had dumped him, and Leon had come across the presumed dead comrade of his on his Europe mission to find the President's missing daughter. Leon had discovered Krauser wasn't dead and had performed the kidnapping of the President's daughter in the first place. The two fought several times against each other, Krauser having every intention of killing Leon.

Now the two former comrades turned enemies, locked eyes. Leon looked angry while Krauser kept his face void of any feelings. He even went so far as to ignore the government agent, opting to address Chris instead.

"I would like to see you inside, Chris. Say your goodbyes."

He wanted to argue with him but he could find no reason on his part. Krauser had kept up his end of being an ally to him for the time being and had given him no reason to distrust. History gave Chris pause of course, after all, he wasn't a fool. But what was between Leon and Krauser was just that. Between the two of them. So Chris didn't involve himself or exacerbate the situation.

Instead, he hugged Claire as his way of telling her it was time for her to be on her way back home. A single tight nod to Leon was his goodbye to the agent and reluctantly, the agent got back into his car, where Claire was now waiting in the front passenger seat. Melody and Ada were beginning to remove branches off of her Ford Explorer and Eva went over to help. Chris caught Krauser heading back into the cabin out of the corner of his eye and followed, wondering what the scarred soldier wanted of him. It didn't escape his notice that Wesker followed him inside.

"Yeah Krauser? What's this about?"

When the man merely turned to face him, crossing his arms and saying nothing, Chris went for his gun. A solid kick to his back sent him flying forwards, gun dropping out of his grasp. He hit the ground and rolled swiftly back up on his feet, glare fixed on his attacker.

"What the hell Wesker?!"

Krauser used his superhuman speed to appear in front of the former BSAA agent, shoving him flat against the nearby wall with a hand planted on the center of his chest.

"We're going to tie you up now, Chris. And you're going to be a good sport about it."

He had only the obvious to demand. "What? Why?!"

"Because if this machine of Murphy's truly exists, I want my daughter nowhere near it."

Chris put the remainder of the pieces together. "And if I go..."

"Then Eva will go and I will not allow it. The two of you are now human which means you are both weak, vulnerable. I will not risk my daughter's safety."

"We don't even know where the Obliterator is. This is a little premature, don't you think?"

"Tonight Melody's song could help us find it. I haven't the slightest idea how but I am willing to observe what the clone can do. Just be a good boy and sit tight until we return from Melody's performance."

"I don't-"

Chris didn't get a chance to complete voicing what he thought about the whole matter because Krauser had pulled handcuffs from somewhere he missed, and promptly clamped one manacle around his right wrist. The man knew there was no point in trying to fight off two superhuman beings, especially unarmed. Wait..he did still have his magnum tucked at the back of his belt.

With his free hand he reached back, grabbed the weapon, and shot Krauser in the chest at point blank range. Krauser stumbled for a brief moment, glancing down at where the bullet entered his upper right chest.

"Hey, that hurt," the scarred soldier told Chris and then snatched the gun out of his hand.

He stood there stunned. It was as though he had only punched the man with his fist instead of with a .44 caliber bullet. Not being even the slightest bit gentle, Krauser forced him over to the staircase and attached the other cuff link around the bottom post. He was now chained to a staircase. Not bothering to try and break free, Chris slumped down in a seated position on the bottom step, arm slightly raised because of the handcuff around the upper part of the railing.

"Great... Not even gonna leave me a book or something?"

"You never struck me as one who reads." Wesker noted with a slight smirk.

He wanted to hit the blonde more than anything else at that moment. He tested the cuffs and not surprisingly, they held. Krauser dropped both of Chris's guns in the corner across the room beside Wesker's laptop, then looked to Wesker. The man took that as a cue to call out to his daughter. Eva appeared in the cabin doorway within seconds.

"Yeah dad? Oh hell..."

The second part likely resulted when she took in that Chris was chained to the cabin's staircase. He met her gaze and just shook his head. This didn't prevent her from giving her father a death stare as he gently guided her over to the stairs and handcuffed her a few steps higher than where he sat. As an afterthought, he requested Eva's weapon from her and put it by Chris's own weapons. The two men wasted no time in departing and about a minute after that, he heard an engine start up and knew Ada and Melody were gone too.

Chris allowed himself to sigh loudly. "I can't believe I let Wesker get the better of me..again."

Eva was much less calm about the situation. "We can't let him do this, Chris. I need to see where that machine is.

We're in front of that machine at some point. We need to find where it is."

"Wait, how do you know the two of us are in the same place as the Obliterator?"

He found himself thoroughly confused as to how Eva could have come across such information. He shifted the best he could to be looking up at her. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"Melody told me it was in her dreams, the two of us standing in front of the machine. Not that it matters. We aren't going anywhere like this. Plus, we don't even know where it is."

Chris wanted to yell at her. Tell her it wasn't okay to keep something like that from him. Instead his mind was turning on the memo he'd gotten off of Murphy's body. Well, technically, HUNK had been the one to take it off of the corpse but he'd given it to Chris in the elevator on their way out of the North Carolina facility. A sort of offering for the new alliance made perhaps. He hadn't thought much of it because it was only a memo regarding Melody.

But what if to Murphy, the machine and Melody were one and the same?

With his uncuffed hand, he dug into his pants pocket and withdrew the crumpled memo, wondering if HUNK had known all along that it could tell him what he needed to know. Smoothing the piece of paper out the best he could, he read it to Eva.

"Test subject number 16, codename: Melody, upon capture should be transported to Colorado facility in Aurora. Test subject should be moved fully sedated and no contact should be made in order to minimize employee casualties. Keep sedated until I arrive to personally witness Project Skye's completion. -Richard Murphy, president of Umbrella Corporation."

Eva stared at Chris in astonishment and a bit of confusion as well. "Where did you get that? No, better yet, what does it mean?"

He grinned. "I think it means we need to get directions to Aurora. I think we just found the machine's location."

Simultaneously, their heads turned to peer over at the laptop sitting on the floor on the other side of the room. If they could only get free of the handcuffs and get hold of that computer...

Leon was just getting onto the main road outside of town which would take them to the highway, when Claire decided she couldn't hold in what she wanted to say.

"Turn around, Leon. I want to see Melody's performance."

The agent made no move to do as she said.

"My brother's entire mission seems to have something to do with that woman, Leon. I need to see what my brother's risking his life for before I can go."

When he continued to drive, not saying a word, Claire grabbed the wheel suddenly. Startled out of his silence, Leon shouted in surprise and spun the wheel so he was driving straight again. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut off the engine, then placed his attention on the woman sitting beside him.

"Are you crazy?"

"Not as much as you'd think."

She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. He stared at her. This was nothing new. Not that her brother knew that.

"I'll tell Chris about how we've been dating since the airport disaster. You know how much my brother hates secrets."

"Off and on dating," he tried to protest.

Claire sat back in her seat and smiled at the now very uncomfortable looking man.

"Think that will matter to him?"

Leon ran a hand through his light colored hair and released an audible sigh. Claire's smile widened. She knew when she'd won because it happened quite often. She was as stubborn as her brother could be.

"Chris is gonna kill me for this," he muttered, turning the car's engine back on.

It was one of those moments where you were damned if you do, damned if you don't. He glanced over his shoulder before making a U-turn and heading back in the direction of the town they'd only left moments ago. Claire gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting back and watching the road go by.

"Nah, Leon. He'll just have a few choice words to use with you."

The man only sighed for a second time and kept his focus on driving as they made their way to the theater. Claire sat quietly in the seat next to Leon as the car got closer and closer to arriving back to the town. Her brother was going to be so pissed.


	25. No Future

Author's Note: I do not own the song used in this chapter and it belongs to Square Enix, the writers and performers of this song, and I make no profit from using the song lyrics here. I also make no profit from using a similar idea as the video that is from the game (FFX2) with this song, and it is purely used for inspiration even though some parts could be considered identical. No need to sue or flame me, this is only for fun and nonprofit. If you would like to find the song to listen to for yourself, you can find it on YouTube. The song is '1000 Words' and is the full version. I came across the short version of this song for the first time when I played the video game Final Fantasy X-2 so you could probably find the song this way as well.

Chapter 24

-No Future-

Ada Wong was surprised by the number of people gathered in the theater. At least a hundred, maybe even twice that. She tried to recall the population of the town but couldn't. Either way, it was an impressive turn out and she had to push her way to find some standing room at the far back. The dozen or so tables scattered about were filled, leaving most of the growing crowd of people to stand. In her search for a place to watch the show, she found Wesker and Krauser leaning against the back wall.

She smiled inwardly. Figured the two superhuman beings would beat her vehicle on foot to the theater. It helped that both men were capable of moving faster than bullets. Well, at least Wesker could from what she'd heard. As for Krauser, she'd witnessed him running before and he definitely could move faster than humanly possible.

The woman in red found Wesker briefly distracted, his eyes following a person coming in through the main doors. The tyrant wore his typical black sunglasses but the dim lighting in the auditorium made the red in his eyes glow slightly through the lenses, enabling Ada to observe where he was looking. The red glow was also causing a couple of people standing nearby to glance repeatedly in the blonde's direction, exchanging quiet whispers as they debated if they were really seeing a guy with glowing red eyes or not.

At present, Wesker's eyes were fixed on a woman with brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, her eyes shining with interest at seeing him here. The woman was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt with an auburn colored jacket over it. For a brief moment her jacket was pushed back by a man passing by and it was then Ada caught sight of the police badge and holstered gun attached to the woman's belt. The woman was a cop and she was returning Wesker's gaze now. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and Ada swore the two exchanged some sort of significant glance. But then she was moving on through the crowd, and was soon gone from sight.

The room became quieter all of a sudden, a few more hushed words spoken by someone to their friend, and then complete silence reigned. A man in his late 50's or so had come onto the center stage, cordless microphone in hand. He proceeded to welcome everyone and thanked them for coming, then started to list the performances for the night. Ada tuned him out. She wasn't interested in any performances except for Melody's song.

A momentary glimpse of a guy with boyishly cut light brown hair and a brown jacket like the one she remembered seeing Leon wearing earlier made her think of the government agent. To say the relationship between Leon and herself was complicated was putting it nicely. They had history, pure and simple. The more complicated part came with how their history pretty much amounted to a lot of almost dying, dangerous situations, and secret missions. In the midst of all of that, Ada had made a personal connection with Leon when the two had helped one another survive in Raccoon City over ten years ago.

In different times, easier times, maybe they could have had something together, some semblance of a future side by side. That would never be. Too much had happened in between the time they'd spent in Raccoon City and now. Ada knew it was one big complicated mess of crap but she was okay with it being that way. Well, maybe not okay with it, but at least used to life working out in unexpected ways.

Like now for instance. She was so close to completing what she'd come here to do and yet she was hesitant to take that final step. This was especially true after running into Leon. The agent probably had no idea how right he was when he'd accused her of having dual objectives. If the blue-eyed man had any sort of notable effect on Ada, it was to bring out her conscience and what she knew to be the right thing to do.

For the second time that day, she cursed Leon for showing up and throwing her off center. But he was gone, the female operative reasoned, so she could return to finding the best moment to make her move. Her eyes landed on the man whose back resembled that of Leon Kennedy once again. He really looks like him. Wow. Could be the guy's twin. She thought to herself, and at that moment, the man turned partly to his right to speak to a woman perhaps slightly younger than he was. The man didn't just bear an uncanny resemblance to Leon. The man was Leon.

A closer examination found the woman he was conversing with to be Claire Redfield. She's supposed to be headed for the airport on her way home right now. Chris is most certainly not going to like this... The pair were only a few feet in front of Ada to her left and with the room mostly quiet to hear the man talking onstage, she knew they would be able to hear her easily.

"Claire! Leon! Chris isn't going to be too happy about this."

Both of them snapped their heads around and found Ada where she was leaning against the back wall near Krauser and Wesker. Claire peered sheepishly over at her looking very guilty, and Leon fixed his eyes on her like he was going to say something. However, the room felt as though it'd gone completely still and Ada realized not a single person was talking any more. Everyone's eyes were watching the stage as Melody came walking on, still wearing her absurd array of mismatched clothing that the bio-weapon managed to make work as an outfit.

The test tube creation had observed the man speaking earlier using the microphone, and so there was no hesitation as she put the mike close to her lips and began speaking to the crowd of viewers there to see her sing.

"The song I'm about to sing came to me in a dream. They are the feelings of a friend of mine. Her name is Eva, and this is for the man she loves, who also happens to be my friend."

And then Melody said something that left the audience a little puzzled and it made Ada concerned for the meaning behind her words.

"I wish things could be different."

Following those words, music began to play, and Ada quickly took in the confusion going on with the tech guys at the stage's left, who were in charge of the music. They hadn't done anything. This wasn't their music. Judging by the confusion on their faces, they had no clue where the music was even originating from. Ada stopped worrying about the sound technicians or anything else for that matter when Melody's beautiful voice filled the entire theater.

"I know that you're hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me. Your words were like a dream. But dreams could never fool me. Not that easily."

Melody's eyes closed for a moment as she let the music and words flow through her. When she opened them again, the blue irises were literally glowing in the mostly darkened theater. There were a few gasps of people in the audience sounding surprised at the eyes lighting up, but most of them didn't react. Ada reasoned they probably thought it was a special effect or something and not the result of her unnatural creation within a lab.

"I acted so distant then, didn't say goodbye before you left. But I was listening. You fight your battles far from me, far too easily."

The shock coming across the audience was unmistakable this time when images of buildings began to appear, passing through the crowd as though they were ghostly apparitions.

"Save your tears, cause I'll come back."

The images were shaky and not solid, clearly not actually there. To Ada, it seemed almost like a holographic projection beyond where technology was currently at. Beyond technology she was aware of at least.

"I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door."

The woman in the red dress became aware that this was what Melody did. Images were appearing of the bio-weapon's dream. Everyone in the auditorium was about to witness a scene of the future. Ada eagerly looked on, listening to the words Melody was singing, while following the image of the most prominent building closely.

"But still I saw, you'd hide the pain, when I turned by the pages."

The other buildings vanished and the one Ada had thought stood out above the rest, remained. It came into clearer view directly behind where Melody was standing on the stage. The words 'Murphy Pharmaceuticals' was in block letters over the main doors of the building.

"Shouting might have been the answer."

Ada's eyes got very wide when she saw, without a doubt, Chris and Eva's images standing in front of the building.

"What if I'd cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart?"

Chris and Eva refrained from drawing their weapons and Ada figured it was because this Umbrella facility was actually within a city, with other businesses right next door. They looked in both directions before entering with clear caution.

"But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart. Though a thousand words, have never been spoken. They'll fly to you."

A darkened hallway took the place of the exterior view of the building, Chris and Eva were racing down the hall, obviously running from something.

"Crossing over the time and distance holding you, suspended on silver wings."

Eva's steps faltered as she tripped, and she fell to her knees. Chris skidded to a halt and turned back to pull her onto her feet again.

"And a thousand words, one thousand confessions, will cradle you,"

Chris led her over to a dark gap in the hallway and seemed to be talking Eva into hiding there as he urgently coaxed her into kneeling back there, out of visible sight. Then he continued to run on down the hall.

"Making all of the pain you feel seem far away."

A brief flash of an image of a different but similar dark hallway showed three, four, seven men. Seven men completely decked out in Umbrella Special Forces gear was moving quickly, assault rifles in their hands.

"They'll hold you forever."

There was a short pause before Melody went on to sing the second verse.

"The dream isn't over yet,"

The dark hallways disappeared and a bright image of daytime, location possibly a desert somewhere, had Chris looking in rather poor condition. He appeared as though someone had beaten him up pretty good, one eye swollen shut, blood all over him. The injured brunette was bringing his narrow sword down as Eva stepped in between Chris and a second man with silvery white hair. The sword cut through both of them and the former BSAA soldier looked positively shocked at what he'd just done.

"Though I often say, I can forget. I still relive that day."

Chris held Eva as she died in his arms.

"You've been there with me all the way. I still hear you say."

Ada was confused as the next image showed Eva alive, though covered in her own blood. The blonde-haired girl was hurrying to kneel beside Chris, who was now the one dying, held up only by Wesker's grip. A group of others she didn't recognize were gathered around, staring down at the sorrowful scene.

"'Wait for me I'll find a way to save you.' I could see how you stammered with your eyes to the floor."

Eva was drawing her own blood from her arm with a syringe and injecting it into Chris's chest.

"But still I swore, to hide the doubt when I turned by the pages."

Now those images disappeared, replaced by a room in an apartment where Chris and Eva were, the both of them in good health. The girl was staring up at Chris with those bright green eyes of hers, perhaps genuine flirting if Ada could still recall how that worked. She put the bitterly negative thought aside and focused on what she was seeing. Oh yes, it was real. Eva was leaning up and planting a kiss on the brunette's lips. Then the image vanished entirely.

"Anger might have been the answer."

A large, towering machine appeared behind Melody's actual form on the stage, appearing to reside in a dark room, an unidentifiable man looking up at it from the shadows.

"What if I'd hung my head and said that I could see the truth? But now I'm strong enough, to know, it's not too late."

The unidentifiable man was still staring up at the machine and he started towards it, face coming into view for the first time. It was Chris Redfield.

"Cause a thousand words, called out through the ages."

The image shifted and changed to Chris on the top level of the machine, pushing both hands onto identical square panels. The panels began to glow under his touch and the machine flickered to life, the center circle was lighting up a red hue, and around that, a pattern of white lights lit up.

"They'll fly to you,"

Eva ran into the very dark room lit only by the machine. She looked up at him with a worried expression.

"Even though I can't see, I know they're reaching you, suspended on silver wings."

The blonde-haired girl's mouth was moving, she was calling out to Chris, arms raised as though to emphasize her concern in getting his attention. Chris heard her finally and peered down over the edge of the machine, his eyes showing surprise at seeing her there. The next image appeared on the right side of the theater and it was of the seven fully geared up Umbrella forces operatives, complete with their worn gas masks, running down an unidentifiable hallway.

"Oh a thousand words,"

Chris and Eva ran to meet each other in front of the machine, the teenaged girl wrapping her arms around him in a loose embrace. He pulled away from the hold partially when bright security lights snapped on, illuminating the entire area near the machine.

"One thousand embraces, will cradle you, making all of your weary days seem far away."

Chris turned towards the armed soldiers, Eva doing the same, and the brunette gritted his teeth as he glared with great hostility at the Umbrella agents. Aforementioned agents took positions, three of them going down on one knee, the other four taking standing stances in between them, all aiming their assault rifles in the direction of Chris and Eva.

"They'll hold you forever."

The final gun clicked into place, pointed at the two standing in front of the machine under the strong lighting. Music filled the air as Melody took a brief moment of silence, her eyes closed, body swaying to the beat. The images of Chris and Eva standing there grew brighter and perhaps larger as well. Eva's eyes were wide with fear and were searching the her companion's eyes for something. Chris turned his glare away from the operatives and met the girl's gaze, giving her a small smile of comfort.

Ada knew that kind of smile. Chris was trying to reassure Eva that everything would be okay and she believed him. She returned his smile with a weak but true smile of her own, tears filling her eyes. Ada's stance grew tense, her posture straightening. They both knew what Ada was only realizing now. They were about to die.

She saw it coming but flinched in surprise anyway when the bullets were fired from the Umbrella operatives' weapons. Chris and Eva's heads whipped around to look at the squad of agents and then numerous bullets passed narrowly by or hit them. They both spun and fell, Chris landing on his stomach while Eva fell onto her back. Melody started to sing again after this happened, the bio-weapon seemingly unaware of what the audience had witnessed.

"Oh a thousand words, have never been spoken."

On her right, Ada saw Wesker as still as a statue, hands tightened into fists, jaw visibly clenched tight.

"They'll fly to you. They'll carry you home and back into my arms, suspended on silver wings. And a thousand words,"

The image enlarged even further on Chris and Eva lying on the floor in front of the machine. Chris was clearly in a lot of pain as he tried to reach for Eva who was lying a few feet away from him. Eva was lying with her face towards him, and she was too far gone already to do much but shift the fingers on her left hand which rested near her head. The young woman's eyes glazed over then, her fingers going still, and a single tear escaped from her left eye, trailing down over her nose and other eye, hitting the floor silently.

"Called out through the ages. They'll cradle you, turning all of the lonely years to only days."

An expanding pool of blood surrounded Chris and Eva, who were both lying dead on the floor before the machine, as the operatives moved in to clear the area. Ada looked on in horror at the blank, lifeless gazes of two acquaintances of hers. The woman could even possibly go so far as to say they were her friends, as close as she would ever have friends, and they were dead. The machine was shutting down again, the room growing dark once more as the images began to fade.

"They'll hold you forever."

The images vanished completely and Melody finished off her song.

"Oohhh... A thousand..words..."

Melody sank to her knees as the music faded and a tear leaked from one of her eyes. It seemed she knew what everyone had seen despite her not witnessing the multitude of inexplicable images that had appeared to the audience. The words Melody had said before she'd began to sing, about wishing things could be different, now made a whole lot of sense. That was when Ada became reminded of something. Melody predicted the future, which meant this hadn't happened. Chris and Eva weren't dead, not yet. There was still time to stop it.

A black blur moving through the crowd caused a few startled gasps from various people scattered about. Ada knew Wesker likely had come to the same conclusion as she had and was already on his way to ensure the two remained back at the cabin. Another blur, slightly slower than the first, passed close by the woman in red and she knew Krauser had followed after the blonde tyrant. A hand closed around her wrist and she turned to find a scared looking Claire Redfield right in front of her, Leon just behind her.

"Ada, where's Chris? Where's my brother?"


	26. Between the Lines

Chapter 25

-Between the Lines-

31 Hours Earlier...1:15p.m.

"Do some research on Raccoon City. Chris Redfield, he tries to prevent things like that."

Katherine Taylor found herself stuck in place, only two steps from the sidewalk opposite the man who had spoken those words to her. The man in the long black coat and sunglasses going by the alias of Smith, had gone inside her uncle's bar at least five minutes ago and yet she still stood there. The detective finally got herself moving again, stepping up onto the sidewalk and heading back towards the precinct. She couldn't stop thinking about what the man said and had every intention of going to her office to find out all she could on Raccoon City. Of course, if it wasn't on the map, would she be able to even find anything on the Internet?

The detective would soon know one way or another as she arrived at the police station and went inside. A brief greeting to the receptionist at the front desk and then she was on her way to the back offices. She spied her partner, Scott, working at his desk which was across from her own office. A quick hello to him and then she slid into the seat behind her desk. The computer was already on and she merely had to click on the icon for the web. Katherine decided on using a general search engine, instead of the police ones which were more commonly monitored. She half expected to get nothing from typing in the name of a city that couldn't be found on any map, and was relatively happy when numerous sites with articles popped up on the screen. That is, until she saw the disturbing content held within these uncovered articles.

The only articles she could find were dated in the year 1998 and were from various newspapers such as Cityside and the Raccoon Times. Titles of two of the articles were the following: 'Bizarre Murders Committed in Raccoon City,' and, 'Horror in Raccoon! More Victims Dead.' Both stories went on to describe the climbing number of missing or dead citizens of Raccoon City being uncovered on the outskirts of town. The deceased victims were apparently found partially eaten, human and animal bite marks discovered on the bodies. Katherine stared at the computer screen in horror. Was this real? Could it be? How could she never hear of such murders in a city with a population of over 100,000 people?

Katherine investigated onward and came across the mention of a law enforcement organization called S.T.A.R.S, that she recalled reading in Chris Redfield's file of him being a former member. '"S.T.A.R.S." Special Tactics And Rescue Service Sent to Save Raccoon City.' The article mentioned how S.T.A.R.S. would be taking an active role in investigating the June 1998 cannibalistic murders going on in the forest outside Raccoon City. Katherine learned S.T.A.R.S. was founded in New York in 1967, a measure of defense against cult affiliated terrorism. It also mentioned the promotion of a Captain Albert Wesker and when she clicked on another link attached to the news article, a photo popped up of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.S. members in 1998.

The detective went very still. One of the men standing in the back row she recognized. Dark clothing, black sunglasses, combed back blonde hair, and only a very measured smile. There was no doubt, the Mr. Smith she'd been dealing with was this Captain Albert Wesker. A careful examination of the entire photo had her fairly convinced she recognized Chris Redfield there too. The Chris Redfield in the picture was quite a bit younger than the one she had seen, and appeared to have way less stress weighing him down by the genuine smile he displayed to the photographer.

She searched for any information on Albert Wesker but came up with absolutely nothing except for that brief article on his recent promotion and the photograph. This spoke volumes to her. A man with secrets and no readily available information made the former captain of S.T.A.R.S. very intriguing indeed. Going back to the articles, she picked a random one and found mention of some sort of pharmaceutical corporation known as Umbrella, who employed many of Raccoon's citizens. The next step for the detective was to look into this Umbrella Corporation.

When she did so, scanning titles of multiple articles, she began to understand. 'Umbrella Investigated in Raccoon City Explosion.' 'Over 100,000 Population in Raccoon City Dead after U.S. Government Blows City up to Prevent Spread of Unknown Virus.' 'Pharmaceutical Company's Business Practices put Under the Scope.' 'More Viral Disasters Follow Raccoon City Incident: Is Umbrella to Blame?' 'Death Toll Rises in Umbrella Corporation Involved Disasters.' 'Umbrella's Stock Prices Plummet as Legal Proceedings Continue Against the Wealthy Pharmaceutical Company.' 'Guilty Verdict for Umbrella Corporation on Raccoon City Massacre. Pharmaceutical Company in Ruins.' Detective Taylor leaned back in her desk chair, removing her eyes from the computer screen for the first time in an hour.

A pharmaceutical corporation called Umbrella was behind more than one viral disaster in the last decade. Found guilty of the disaster in Raccoon City by a court of law. After reading about the disastrous end Raccoon City had come to in 1998, Katherine was starting to feel sick to her stomach. Now she understood what Mr. Smith, or rather, Albert Wesker, had been trying to tell her. Chris Redfield was a man who worked to stop viruses from spreading and harming innocent civilians like it had in Raccoon.

She knew she wasn't going to be forgetting anytime soon, about the city where over a 100,000 had lost their lives because of a greedy, heartless corporation that had decided to cover up evidence of their own involvement over saving the city's inhabitants. How Chris Redfield went about stopping incidents like that was knowledge Katherine wasn't privy to, but she was convinced him and the people he was with, were not a threat to her town or anybody in general. Anybody innocent of heinous crimes at least...

She glanced up from her desk when she felt someone watching her. A uniformed officer by the name of Roger Sterling was hovering outside the doorway to her office.

"Hey Roger."

He perked up at her greeting and smiled warmly at her, though he remained in a nervous disposition. Sterling was young, a rookie cop in his early twenties. She'd suspected for some time that he had a thing for her. Katherine didn't take the crush too seriously. She was much too old for a relationship of any kind with a kid like Roger.

"Hey Katherine, how's it going?"

"Fine, it's going fine. Something on your mind Roger?"

"Just wanted to let you know Riesling's taken the rest of the night off. Personal business of some kind."

Katherine raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Okay, thanks for letting me know."

She went back to looking through her files on Raccoon City. She was a little disappointed Scott hadn't come by her office himself to let her know he was done for the night. The detective found herself looking at a list of every law official in Raccoon City in 1998 as she heard Roger leave. There was still plenty to view and she figured it was going to be a long night. Katherine got up to grab a cup of coffee. She was going to need the caffeine.

14 Hours Earlier...6:30a.m.

The cell phone hit the wall and smashed into several pieces. So far, things were not going well on certain factors for Darius Greene. On the front line everything was working out according to plan. Umbrella was set to take a heavy fall and he was ready to take Richard Murphy's place as head of the corporation. There were people of his he'd put in place over the years working for Umbrella and others that had turned to supporting him. Only days ago he had decided to take Umbrella for himself instead of leaving it in ruins. The benefits of such a choice would last him forever and would be the ultimate revenge. The corporation would be run by one of their very own victims. They killed his family, but he would destroy all of those involved and take Murphy's ideas as his own. He would be the one rich and powerful and no one would be able to stop him.

However, other factors surrounding Umbrella Corporation, namely test subjects known as Albert Wesker and his daughter Eva Wesker, were yet to be taken out of the equation. His most valued inside man had been on the other end of the phone, informing him of the clone he'd ordered activated's failure in eliminating Eva Wesker. Melody had failed and he needed to be certain Wesker wouldn't become a problem when he took control of Umbrella. He was contemplating how to remedy the situation when his computer informed him he had mail, the pitch black room becoming illuminated by the bluish glow of the monitor.

Leaving his shattered cell phone where it lay, Darius walked over to his laptop sitting on his hotel room bed. When he clicked open the e-mail, his mood lightened considerably. He'd been sent a video e-mail from his favorite inside man who'd been the reason behind his recently destroyed phone. This e-mail put the follower back in his favor and put him in a much better mood. The video was from an Umbrella laboratory of a currently running link to the female clone who had run from the corporation some time ago. The link Umbrella had put into their creation's brain allowed them access to Melody's thoughts. She had learned to block the company access to her conscious thoughts. But when she was asleep, and more importantly, when she was dreaming, the link recorded it and gave Umbrella scientists a way to view the dreams.

Greene was looking at one of the clone's dreams right now. It was a vision of the future and it was showing Eva Wesker with an older man, a man he identified to be Chris Redfield. The two of them were being gunned down by a squad of USFU soldiers in the room where the Obliterator was being stored. An instant message appeared over the window with the video, from his spy.

'A video received 24 hours ago. Another short video got past Test Subject M's barrier and was recorded. It contained a brief dream the Test Subject may not have even realized it had. The video showed CR and EW handcuffed to a stairway railing. This could possible be something that would prevent the previous video from occurring, therefore I will take measures to ensure the first dream happens. It will be dealt with accordingly. -R'

A smile spread across Darius's face. It seemed Eva Wesker was taken care of after all.

23 Hours Earlier...9:15p.m.

Katherine must have fallen asleep at her desk while searching through much more detailed files concerning Raccoon City on her computer. She lifted her chin off of the keyboard and blinked heavy eyes, trying to rid herself of sleep. There was someone standing just inside her office doorway, arms folded to his chest. Roger Sterling was back, and he was grinning down at her.

"You know, I'm sure you've got a nice, soft bed to sleep in at home. What are you working on anyway? Those bizarre murders over the last few days?"

Her vision finally cleared of past slumber and she stood up, partly to be eye level with Roger, and partly so she could stretch her stiffened limbs.

"Um, yeah." Technically she was telling the truth. Her research into Raccoon City was part of her investigation into the murders happening in her town. "No promising leads so far."

"Maybe you should call it a night. You work too hard."

Katherine scoffed. "Oh, I'll be fine, Roger. You don't have to worry about me. So what keeps you here so late?"

Sterling approached her desk. "On my way out actually. Riesling stopped by to give me this to give to you."

Scott had been back at the station? And hadn't said anything to her? What was going on with her partner? A personal situation that he didn't feel comfortable sharing with her? That hurt. Okay, so maybe she was getting ahead of herself. She didn't even know for certain what was going on. No use jumping to conclusions. Katherine told herself as she often did when working a case.

The female detective opted not to ask anything about Scott as she accepted what Roger had for her. It was a white envelope with a slip of paper inside and a small key. It was a key to handcuffs. She opened up the piece of paper, pausing to thank Sterling for delivering the envelope, and waited for him to leave for the night. The note only contained seven words written in her partner's handwriting.

'Give this to Mr. Smith's daughter. The blonde.'

It seemed like a million different questions flooded through her mind after reading the note. What was Scott talking about? Why did he give her this? What could it mean? What was the reason behind a key for a set of handcuffs? Katherine shut out the questions. Scott Riesling was her partner and she wasn't going to start doubting him now.

13 Hours Earlier...7:30a.m

Eva made her way through town, back to the woods. The others would be waiting outside the cabin for her. They were leaving for the airport any minute now and she just had to go for a walk beforehand, in order to clear her mind of any nonessential thoughts before getting on the plane. She wanted to be fully prepared for the mission ahead of them. Because this time, it was different. This time, she was completely human and could get herself killed if she wasn't properly focused on the job ahead.

The others didn't think she understood this. They treated her like she was a child. As though she hadn't been through enough tragedy and danger to make her far older than her years. The girl was nearly to the edge of town when the detective found her. The likely person working for Umbrella, who'd planted that listening device on her blue lamp with flowers on it. Not blue orchids like she preferred, just blue flowers.

Detective Taylor didn't say much to her. Simply came up to her and pushed a small object into her palm so that she would accept it. Eva did take it, her fingers closing automatically around it before she even realized she was doing so. Then the woman cop was continuing down the sidewalk without even a glance back at her. Eva watched her go, confusion evident on her face. It wasn't until the detective was out of sight that she then lowered her gaze and opened her clenched hand.

Her hand held a very small key. It wouldn't fit in any lock she could think of but it seemed familiar to her anyhow. Then it came to her. This was what a handcuff key looked like, wasn't it? Why would Detective Taylor give this to her? What use could she possibly have for a key that went to a pair of handcuffs? Eva remembered everyone waiting for her back at the cabin. She had a plane to catch.

1 Hour Earlier...7:00p.m.

Detective Taylor was back at her computer, preparing to do more research on Raccoon City. She wanted to know all there was to know about what Chris Redfield worked to stop. Katherine could never have imagined something like this went on in the world. Biological weaponry tested on innocent civilians or used to destroy them. The act was horrendous and unforgivable. Katherine found she couldn't let this go.

She opened up the file on the computer screen that she'd been about to look over the previous night. A list of civilians and a list of the members of the Raccoon City police department in 1998. She picked the police department list of names first. She scanned down it quickly to locate Chris Redfield's name on it. The name was there, as she'd known it would be. What she hadn't expected was the name two persons below Redfield. Riesling, Scott. The detective froze. Could it be coincidence?

Katherine clicked on the name and a complete personnel file popped up with a picture id included. There was no doubt it was her now current partner, Scott Riesling. A much younger Scott Riesling, but it was most definitely him. Her partner had once worked for the Raccoon City police department and he'd never told her about it. He'd even offered to find information on Raccoon City, if there was anything to find, after she had told Scott about her encounter with Mr. Smith. She was beginning to feel glad she hadn't told him Wesker was Mr. Smith's real name.

Her partner had told her he couldn't find any information on Raccoon. That the city probably wasn't even real and Smith was lying to her, to get her confused. What else was Scott lying about? No, there was a better question. Why was he lying?

Present Time...8p.m.

She thought all that would happen was following Albert Wesker into the theater and getting his attention by letting him know that she knew, with only a look. A stare that told she knew who he really was and would be watching him, and those with him. Detective Taylor had lingered in the theater long enough for the first performer to go on stage and had stayed to watch when she saw it was her murder suspect up there about to sing. The song was over now and Katherine was stunned by what she had witnessed. Thoroughly confused as well.

Once most of the surprise passed, she searched through the crowd which was in a total uproar at what they'd just seen. It wasn't usual to see images appear and display the deaths of two people after all. Her search through the crowd to locate Wesker proved fruitless. He was nowhere to be found and neither was the scarred man that had been with him. However, the Asian woman in red that had also been with Wesker was still there.

She was talking to a man and woman, trying to calm them down. Then the three turned and made their way through the crowd, in the direction of the theater's exit. The detective made a quick decision. She would trail the three of them and see where it led her. Katherine wanted answers for the dozens of questions running through her mind. She needed to know what had brought Albert Wesker and Chris Redfield to Collarson. She needed to know why her partner was lying to her. Katherine was certain she would be getting those answers very soon. What she wasn't sure about, was if she would like the answers she found.


	27. Built to Kill

Chapter 26

-Built to Kill-

He was supposed to make a difference. He was supposed to be the kind of someone the tyrant had told him he was once. Wesker had admitted the world needed people like him. Men who could thrive in miserable environments so that others could sleep at night. He might not have always thrived in such environments but he had certainly been surviving all these years. And for what? So others would never have to experience the nightmares he had witnessed and escaped from?

The question of why he fought so hard against the evil in the world was something he'd thought of often. After he'd gotten older and gotten used to his life being on the line every goddamn day, the question was left unanswered. The reason he risked everything remained unknown to him. He simply fought because it needed to be done. Because no one else was going to stand up against evil corporations and the bad men who ran them. Someone needed to stop these people from unleashing biological attacks upon unsuspecting populations. So he'd done it. He had become the soldier necessary to prevent as many casualties as he was able to.

Enemies became his allies. He wouldn't go as far as to say he could place his trust in them, but he perhaps understood their way of thinking. Understanding a person's way of thinking had become endlessly helpful to him on his journey to defeat the worst corporation he knew of. Umbrella Corporation seemed impossibly strong. They'd limped on even after he'd been sure they were ruined and done for.

There were losses that came with learning of Umbrella's survival. No matter how much you try and prepare yourself for the possible death of a friend and ally, it's not possible. When it happens, it is as though a piece of your soul is ripped away with them. They will no longer be around for you to see them in good times. And the bad. They're just gone.

Months went by after he'd discovered Umbrella was still around and he had kept mostly to himself when it could be helped. It wasn't anything personal against his latest allies Eva and Wesker, okay, maybe Wesker. But it was just the way he kept himself going each day. Telling himself there was nothing he needed to see. A single stream of thoughts that had come to him one day had changed all of that. It had made him realize he was blinding himself to the obvious truth. The belief that there was nothing he needed to see, was banished that day.

Telling yourself there isn't anything you need to see? It isn't true is it? You can keep pretending or you can admit it. Everything's different now. It's been different since the day they died.

He could no longer keep pretending there was nothing left for him now that Jill was gone. Couldn't keep pretending there was no work to be done. There was and always would be. And it mattered. It mattered to him that people were dying from biohazard-related incidents every week. And it mattered if he could make a difference, then he needed to.

That was what he had set out to do. Make a difference by saving lives. But somewhere he must have taken a wrong turn. Somewhere he must have made a mistake. Otherwise he wouldn't be lying on his stomach, against hard floor, watching his friend and comrade's lifeless eyes staring into his own slowly dulling ones. He had failed to protect her and keep her safe, like so many partners before her. This time, he hadn't been able to save himself either.

The increasing pool of blood around him, seeping from his own wounds, began to mingle with the blood that had come from Eva's wounds. The pain had completely receded from his body, he could barely feel the bullets that had hammered into his chest and stomach only seconds before. He tried and failed once again to take hold of Eva's hand and his arm dropped back to the floor. Darkness began to encroach on his vision as it did so many times when he was losing consciousness. But this time he knew, the darkness would be permanent.

One last thought ran through his mind and he chuckled to himself inside his head. He had always figured the one to kill him would have been Wesker. It seemed he had been wrong. This thought of his nemesis, Albert Wesker, was the last thing that went through his brain. Then his body stilled and his eyes stared blankly into Eva's similarly blank and lifeless eyes.

After so many battles, so many wins, and so many losses; Chris Redfield finally slipped into the darkness and let go. He died.

Leon Kennedy hadn't even come to a complete stop before Claire was getting out of the car and running for the cabin's front entrance. The door already lay open actually, looking as though someone had kicked it in judging by the splintered wood around the frame. Ada's vehicle pulled up behind his and the two drivers exited their cars nearly simultaneously, moving quickly towards the cabin.

They found Claire holding an open laptop in her hands, her expression one of concern and also hope. She turned slightly in their direction and shifted the screen around to face Leon and Ada.

"Look, the computer was open to a map with directions displayed for getting to the city of Aurora," the reddish brown-haired woman informed them.

Leon glanced at the screen and then scanned the room. His eyes rested on the stairs and he went over, picking up a pair of handcuffs he'd seen and the key which lay next to them. Ada had her PDA in her hands and after another minute she announced she had the directions to Aurora on her device.

"Aurora isn't far from here. Wesker and Krauser are no doubt on their way. We should go."

Claire didn't need to be told twice. She had already put the computer down and was heading out the door.

"I'll follow behind your vehicle." Ada told Leon before he could suggest they take his car.

The woman in red led the way out of the cabin and they each got behind the wheel of their respective vehicles. Distracted by the impatient Redfield waiting in the passenger seat of Leon's car, neither of them, despite their experience and training, noticed the car that pulled out from amidst the trees to follow them out of the woods as they headed to Aurora.

There was pain. A lot of pain. Chris had always assumed when you died the pain would stop, but right now he was feeling like he'd been shot multiple times. Then he became aware that he was lying on his stomach on hard floor, staring into the blank eyes of Eva's corpse. The eyes blinked at him once, twice. Wait, now he was positive when you died, your eyes didn't blink. Nor did they look at you and she was most definitely gazing at him, the eyes no longer glazed over with death. He tested his voice.

"Eva?"

She stared at him some more, a ghost of a smile flashing across her face briefly, before she grimaced and began to shift into a sitting position. As she did this, he observed her eyes changing colors. They grew lighter and changed from their natural blue to the green color she'd had when he had first met her. Chris followed Eva's example, sitting up, and he watched as the bullets pushed their way out of various areas on his body and dropped to the floor, the wounds healing up rapidly. Bloodstains on his clothing was the only thing that gave away he had been injured at one point. He climbed to his feet and gazed down at Eva who was currently going through the same healing process as he had just endured. She was still grimacing and he understood the reaction quite well as the process was rather painful.

When her body had completely healed itself, Chris held out a hand and she took it, allowing him to pull her into a standing position beside him. Silently, they both stared into each other's eyes. They were both alive when no human had any right to be after being shot so many times. It seemed the cure Melody had injected them with had only been temporary. They were no longer human and had returned to their Regenerative virus infected status.

The sound of clapping hands echoed throughout the large room. Chris and Eva turned quickly to face the entrance to the room. A man was standing there dressed in dark clothing. He had short brown hair and awful scars covering him, most noticeable were the ones on his face. The largest scar started at his right eyebrow, over his nose, and ended on the left side of his chin in a sort of jagged shape. He didn't recognize this man.

"That's Darius Greene." Eva whispered to him, assuming a tighter stance.

Behind the clapping man, the team of shooters still stood there with their assault rifles out, but at Greene's direction they lowered them.

"Let's dispense with the formalities, shall we? My name is Darius Greene, as the young Ms. Wesker very well knows, and you are Christopher Redfield. There, introductions done. Now, let's move on to business. I have a proposition for you."

"This should be good," he muttered.

"I've read your file, Christopher."

"It's Chris."

Darius continued as though he had never spoken. "I know you are a fighter through and through. You have no interest in the exploits of madmen such as myself. Therefore I can safely assume you have no desire to live forever, am I right?"

Chris's silence was enough of an answer for him it seemed.

"Ah, as I thought. Then you will be enthusiastic to hear I have discovered Richard Murphy recently perfected such an antidote for the R-Virus. You can be normal again, the pair of you, if..that is what you would like."

"Tell me, if you've created the antidote then you must have the virus, right? Why haven't you used it on yourself? Surely it would be useful in your..exploits as you so elegantly worded it." Eva questioned, eyes narrowed.

"I most certainly would be interested in such a thing, however, the complete side effects are unknown and so more testing will be required before I would ever inject it into my own body. Caution is king in this sort of business."

Chris snorted with obvious disbelief, his eyes staring with pure disdain at the other man. "You mean caution when it comes to yourself. You obviously are no different than Murphy or Spencer. You don't give a damn about all the people you test your viruses on and you don't care how many of your employees die so long as they die working for you to obtain your own goals."

"Well why shouldn't I take over where they left off, hm? They destroyed my life and now I've taken over theirs. I'm only taking what's mine. I'm only taking what's fair!"

When the man currently attempting to revive Umbrella for his own gain became aware he was losing control, he calmed himself. "And as for your question Ms. Wesker, I haven't used the virus on myself because we don't have it either. It shouldn't be too long before we do, however, with the antidote in our labs."

Greene reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bottle with two syringes. He raised the objects up slightly for the two of them to see and then leaned down, setting the syringes and small bottle on the ground in front of himself.

"No lies or deceit. To take the cure or not, the choice is yours."

"And we're supposed to believe you would let us leave if we cured ourselves?" Eva asked incredulously. "That you would allow us to walk away with something that you could potentially experiment with? I doubt that. Chris and I would become your two newest guinea pigs."

"Yeah, and if we cured ourselves it would just make it easier for you to kill us if that is what you really want." Chris added, his expression weary.

"Christopher."

He glanced around. He could of sworn someone had whispered his name, the voice male, but no one was behind him. There was only the Obliterator. He returned his attention back to Darius who was talking again, not a trace of a smile on his face. The former BSAA agent got the impression this man never smiled, never for real.

"Do you really believe I will allow you to leave even with the virus still running through your veins?" Clearly, Greene had dropped the polite act. "Just because you cannot die, doesn't mean I can't capture you. As you said, Eva, the two of you would make fine specimens."

"You're sick. Just like Murphy and the rest of them." Eva declared, glaring at Greene. "You claim to hate Umbrella but there you stand, the new head of the company. You're a hypocrite."

Chris glanced over at the teenager beside him. He could see she was getting angry and judging by the clenching and unclenching of her fists that were lowered by her sides. She was preparing for a fight. His mind was otherwise preoccupied, however, when the whispering voice reached his ears once again. It was as though the voice was inside of his head. Perhaps it was, considering Eva showed no sign of hearing anything.

"Christopher Redfield, I can see your heart. I can see your desire to have the strength to fight your enemies. Use me. I can help you. I can give you all that you seek. I am power."

"I am merely claiming my property." Darius reasoned to the green-eyed girl. "Umbrella used my brother to create this machine, therefore it is my right to claim ownership of the Obliterator and use it for my own purposes."

"And those would be..?" Eva trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blanks.

There was no time for that though. Instead Wesker was running through the entrance to the room at full speed which meant the squad of Greene's soldiers never saw him coming until it was too late. Three of them were dead before the rest opened fire on their assailant. The tyrant dodged the bullets with relative ease and took out the remainder of them within seconds. As the last one was lifted off the ground, a black-gloved fist thrust through his chest to leave a bloody hole, Krauser ran into the room. Since Wesker clearly had the situation under control, the scarred man faced off against the more badly scarred man, who was staring at Wesker with pure hatred and loathing.

He drew an odd looking gun from a hidden holster and pointed it at the now slowly approaching form of Krauser, tearing his gaze away from Wesker. The gun didn't have regular ammo but seemed to be loaded with bullets filled with some sort of liquid.

"This is mine now." Greene said to the menacing soldier coming towards him. "Umbrella is mine."

"Do I look like I care?" Krauser growled at him, but he did stop coming closer to the other man.

"I can help you, Christopher. Come to me. Use me. I am power."

Time seemed to slow for Chris. He watched as Wesker let the body of the last soldier drop to the ground. Darius was backing up towards the exit, gun still raised, with Krauser eyeing him like he was prey. Eva moved over to the bottle and syringes and picked them up, obvious interest showing on her face. There was an explosion somewhere off in the distance, possibly the other side of the huge facility they were in. The sound wasn't as loud as it should have been. It felt as though the volume had been turned down and he could only hear everything quietly. Wesker was over by Eva now, likely making sure his daughter, whose clothing was colored crimson from the wounds she had sustained and consecutively healed from, was okay.

He was surprised when his sister came racing into the room, Leon Kennedy and Ada Wong close behind her, but Chris couldn't bring himself to move or make any sound. His mind was on the voice and what it wanted him to do. Claire's eyes sought him out and she shouted something to him with a smile on her face but he didn't react. He only stared. Another call out to him and then the smile slipped from her face and fresh concern replaced the joy at seeing him alive. Chris felt the stares as one by one, everyone including Greene, shifted their attention to stare at him standing there so stonily. Still, he did nothing. Eva started to approach him and that is when he moved. Slowly, taking deliberate steps, he walked towards the machine.

Directly in front of him, a panel slide open with a place for a handprint and code. The voice whispered the code to him and told him to place his hand on the panel, reassuring him it would take care of everything. The voice told him it would be there soon and it needed him to turn on and use the machine long enough for him to come and use it. Chris couldn't stop himself. Something in his head screamed for him to stop. That this machine was built to kill and that was what it would do if he listened to the foreign voice commanding him inside of his mind. Even knowing this, he still found his hand reaching up and placing itself on the panel as if he had no control over it. Then all hell broke loose.

Claire was the one to notice something was wrong with Chris. He had been standing so deathly still it was scary. But it was Eva and Wesker who tried to get to him. Eva had yelled at Chris to stop as he walked over to the Obliterator but it was as though he couldn't hear her, his attention solely fixed on the machine in front of him. When a panel opened up and Chris punched in an access code with no hesitation, that was startling. It was even more shocking then, when her father yanked on his arm to turn him away from the machine, to find Chris's eyes were now the color of blue ice. The color Dante's eyes had been when they'd fought him in Africa. The color eyes Melody had. Eyes she could never forget again.

Eva suspected Chris's predicament had nothing to do with either of those clones. How could they be involved when one of them was dead and the other wasn't there? No, there was only one clone that came to Eva's mind and she knew he must be contained in his comatose state somewhere in the building. Somehow Skye Greene's mind was still alive and functioning even though he was supposed to be in a vegetative state. They'd been wrong it would seem, and the clone was now thinking and acting on those thoughts. He wanted the machine activated and he was using Chris to accomplish this.

Chris's eyes returned to brown speckled with green, and he stared at Wesker and then Eva. "What have I done?"

Neither one of them had the chance to answer him because there was a shifting of the air around them, yes shifting. It was the only way Eva could think to describe what she felt in the atmosphere around her. Then Chris was gone. Disappeared. Vanished. There wasn't a trace of him. All that remained behind that told them he had been there at all, was the lit up panel and the soft humming noise the machine was emitting.

Chris was gone. Eva couldn't breathe any more. Where was he? Where did he go? Chris? Chris!


	28. Nightmares Revisited

Chapter 27

-Nightmares Revisited-

He had to be dreaming. It wasn't possible. There was no way he could be standing where he now was. Chris remembered being in the Umbrella facility and he remembered his attention solely on that machine. He had fixated on the Obliterator when the strange voice had been talking to him. He realized he'd been lured into some sort of trap. The last thing he recalled was a flash of light after he'd activated the machine. Why'd he do that? Maybe how was the better question. How was he able to hear a voice in his head that had told him how to turn the machine on? And why did he listen? The former BSAA agent hadn't consciously done anything. His body had betrayed him and simply followed the commands of the mysterious voice which had succeeded in drawing him over to the Obliterator.

After the machine was switched on, the Obliterator lighting up, Chris had felt a sort of twisting motion in his stomach. His head had begun pounding with a throbbing pain and his heartbeat had quickened to an alarming rate. And then he hadn't been in the room with the machine any longer. Instead he found himself standing in a very different room. A wide and open spaced room decorated in a Victorian style. Everything was as it had been the first time he had ever seen this room. He was nearly certain of it.

Directly behind where he stood was a set of heavy double doors, candle fixtures on both sides along with identical vases. There was hard floor except for where he was standing on a red carpet that led to a grand staircase, also carpeted, which was straight ahead of him. On either side of the base of the stairs there were small round tables. The table on the left held an old typewriter. A large chandelier hung above on the center of the high ceiling, and there were doors on both sides of him. Chris was inside the Spencer mansion.

The impossibility of such a thing did not escape him. The mansion had exploded in July of 1998. It was no more and yet here he was, standing inside the foyer of a building that could not exist. This had happened once before, Sin's doing. How unpleasant to be back here.

He heard a noise behind him, coming from outside. What sounded like running feet and the howling of dogs. For some reason Chris got the feeling that he should avoid being seen by anyone or anything and he knew where he could hide. He had explored probably every inch of this mansion when he'd been trapped inside it over ten years ago.

Chris jogged towards the staircase but hooked a right and hid behind it where there was a small walkway and a steel gate that led down into the basement of the building. He made no attempt to get through the doors because he remembered exactly what lurked down there and had no intention of finding out if she was still down there. Lisa.

He could hear the main doors as someone, or rather several someones, burst through them. They were breathing heavily and when one of them spoke, he froze because he would know that voice anywhere. It was Jill.

"Is everyone alright?"

He heard her ask. It got even stranger when he heard his own voice, albeit younger but most certainly his own, ask a question himself.

"Barry. Where's Barry?"

When he heard his former captain begin to answer the question but instead let his voice trail off so as to imply what he thought might have happened to Barry, he knew he had to see them. He had to see if he was really hearing what he knew he was. As he crept towards the right side of the staircase, making sure to stay low so as not to be seen, something crossed his mind. A few months ago when he'd been in Africa on a mission, the Skye clone who had taken it upon himself to be referred to as "Sin", had been capable of creating illusions. One of these illusions had been the mansion where Chris's life had forever been changed and he wondered if this was what was happening now.

He lifted his head high enough so he could see the three standing around on the red carpet of the foyer but quickly ducked back down when Jill glanced his way, her eyes seeming to stop directly on his hiding spot.

"Wait..did you see that?" she murmured to the others, staring with a frown and a confused expression.

The other two didn't seem to hear her though because the 25-year-old version of Chris, decked out in his STARS uniform, was heading towards the doors on the left after all three of them had heard a gunshot. He still remembered that moment like it had only happened days ago instead of years. He'd been the one to volunteer to go check out the sound. That was when the true nightmare had begun.

A realization formed at the center of his thoughts. The human illusions weren't capable of seeing anything around them except for the illusion of the mansion because they had been memories, nothing more. And yet Chris could of sworn Jill had looked right at him for a moment. If that was true and she had really seen him, it meant she couldn't have been an illusion and the two of them were both really there in that mansion. A long, mournful wail echoed up from deep below the mansion. He remembered that cry of grief and loneliness from a little girl that had been transformed into a hideous monster, her parents murdered. The former agent knew all too well the real monsters were the ones who performed such horrendous experiments on innocent people such as Lisa Trevor had been as a child. It was after this thought that he came to understand. The mansion in 1998, he was trapped there once again. Literally this time. It was 1998.

It had been more than a decade since the long night spent struggling to stay alive in the mansion. He had survived even more deadly and horrific incidents since then and was a 35-year-old man who'd gone on dangerous mission after dangerous mission. Yet here he was, breaking out into a cold sweat with tremors causing his right hand to start shaking. At the moment he didn't feel like being brave. He didn't feel like pretending to be capable of dealing with being thrust in the all too recent and familiar nightmare of the Trevor mansion. Chris wasn't thinking too much as he ran right out the front doors and deep into the forest. He ran and ran and then nearly puked up his guts when he practically stumbled right into the partially eaten corpse of his old friend Joseph Frost.

He lost all control of his emotions and sank to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. After everything that had happened to him it was just too much. All the lives that had been lost in the biohazard tragedies over the years, all of his comrades and loved ones senselessly taken before their time, all the torture and suffering he'd been put through over the years, the nightmarish events that he would never be able to put completely out of his mind... It all rushed him at once and he couldn't take it.

Chris was still crying when he sensed he was no longer alone. He managed to stifle the sobs and drag himself to his feet only to find a handgun aimed level at his face from a couple yards away. The arm attached to the hand holding the gun contained a large tribal style tattoo. The arm belonged to a well-muscled man wearing a tank top, jeans, and a single dog tag. He looked to be in his mid-20's with dark hair brushed back and dark eyes. His eyes were hostile and cautious as they examined the rather less controlled man standing next to a torn apart body.

"Who are you?" the stranger asked him.

"Someone who shouldn't be here."

The dark featured man made a noise of agreement. "That makes two of us."

They locked eyes and apparently the man saw something he liked or at least accepted him as not being a threat because he lowered the gun, tucking it into the back of his pants, and gave him a slight nod.

"Name's Billy, but let's not spread that around if it can be helped."

"Billy? Billy Coen?"

The other man tensed up but Chris raised his hands quickly to show he was harmless to him.

"Hey, relax. I heard about you but no worries. You're assumed dead and no one ever suspects differently."

Chris accidentally let the last sentence escape from his mouth and he paused, holding his breath to see the reaction he would get.

"Excuse me? What was that?"

The convicted killer Rebecca Chambers had once told him about years after the mansion incident was looking rather startled.

He didn't get a chance to answer the man when a low growl put both men on instant alert. Billy drew his weapon, while Chris, hating himself for disturbing the body of his dead friend but doing it regardless, snatched up the deceased man's weapon and an ammo clip. He loaded the clip into the weapon in one fluid motion, a standard issue Samurai Edge handgun which carried 9mm rounds, and both men opened fire as three dogs burst from the cover of the trees at a running charge.

Billy was a good shot and Chris was a marksman so the dogs were taken out within seconds. He glanced sideways at the young man beside him. He recalled Coen was former military and according to Rebecca, he had been falsely accused of a mass murder of villagers in a remote village while on a special mission. He trusted everyone who had survived the nightmare of the mansion that night with his life, so he believed Rebecca Chambers had told him what she honestly believed was the truth. She'd told him Billy Coen and herself had kept each other alive while investigating the abandoned train and the training facility which were both discovered to have belonged to the Umbrella Corporation.

In other words, Billy Coen had Rebecca's respect and so Chris gave him the same courtesy. As soon as the infected canines were taken out, Billy tucked his gun away again and backed up, towards a thick growth of trees.

"I won't say it was a pleasure running into you..." the escaped prisoner trailed off.

The former STARS member got the hint.

"Chris."

"Chris." Billy finished. "But I do wish you luck in surviving this crazy place. With your shooting skill I hope you make it out of here okay. I gotta run. Bye, Chris."

Chris watched the man disappear into the darkness of the forest. He hoped in his normal time where he really belonged, Billy Coen had managed to survive as well. Rebecca had told him a few years ago that she believed Coen was out there somewhere yet. But though the young woman had seen much of the evil Umbrella was capable of, she was still innocent enough to the point of naivety at times. Simply because Billy had not been apprehended by authorities over the years, it didn't mean Umbrella hadn't disappeared him themselves.

The low rumble of thunder drew Chris's attention away from his thoughts. An animal howled in the distance, in the direction of where he knew the mansion stood. He didn't have much of a chance of taking in anything else from his observations because suddenly it felt like the ground was tilting out from under him. His head exploded with white-hot pain, his stomach got that same twisting feeling as before, and his heart was beating a mile a minute.

When he regained his senses, he found himself lying horizontal on hard ground. There was screaming all around him and a sound he knew too well. The sound of the hungry moans of the undead. Chris wiped blood from his nose as soon as he realized it was bleeding, sitting up as he did so. The Raccoon forest was long gone and he was in a city. It was Raccoon City and he knew immediately that it wasn't July of 1998 any longer. The zombie infested city of Raccoon told the former agent turned vigilante that it was now September of the same year as the mansion incident. It appeared the T-Virus had spread through the sewers and had run rampant throughout the city already.

A quick scan of the area showed him at least a dozen zombies in the street and a couple of uninfected citizens attempting to flee the hoard of undead creatures. There was a police car ablaze with fire further up the street on his left, and to his right, a guns and ammo store's front windows were completely destroyed. He wandered carefully over to the building but stopped in his tracks when he heard the unmistakable shamble of zombies moving around inside. There were at least three or four of them in there and he didn't have the ammo to take chances trying to put them all down.

Then again, he was really going to need more bullets if he came across a crowd of the undead and had no way out. His decision was made for him when the dozen or so zombies down the street from him finally became aware of his presence. The two nearest him stiffly shifted towards where he was standing and began a slow but steady walk in his direction. If he hung around, there would soon be more than a handful of the creatures looking for a bite out of his flesh. He ran down the street, away from the cannibalistic monsters heading his way, and rounded a corner. Immediately he spotted his old place of employment, the Raccoon City police department. The large building was about two blocks down on his left.

"Brad!" he heard a loud voice cry out.

The cry came from the police precinct and further more, he knew the voice. It belonged to Jill Valentine. A most horrific roar echoed from the same area, breaking him from the grief that had only just begun to fill his mind as he thought about his deceased partner and friend. Chris heard a male voice shouting and as he ran over to the police station he could hear grunts and groans from the same male obviously in distress. He was nearly to the front gate when he recognized the sounds as someone in the throes of death. A zombie dog startled him and he had to take a minute to kill the animal before making it the rest of the way into the courtyard of the police station.

The first thing he saw was the dead body of a young man in a yellow vest. Unfortunately he recognized the man. It was Brad Vickers, the pilot for Alpha team when Chris had been in STARS. A huge puddle of blood was spreading from the area around the body, telling Chris he had been killed only moments earlier. Jill had told him about Brad's death at the hands of a creature called Nemesis in Raccoon City in 1998. Hearing about someone's death and actually seeing the body was quite different.

"STAAARRSSSSS..." a low, deep voice growled from the far left side of the department's courtyard.

Chris swore, jerking his head to the right. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the thing that had obviously taken Brad's life. He wondered how the creature could tell he'd been a member of STARS. Perhaps the Umbrella creation had been programmed to somehow read and recognize the faces of the members of the STARS that had been based in Raccoon City. The soldier didn't know and he didn't have the value of time either. The tall, hideously deformed class of tyrant that wore a large black coat and boots had turned its single functioning eye onto him. It seemed to endlessly grin at him because there was only muscle where skin and lips should have been, revealing giant teeth. He had come across this creature once before when it had been an illusion created by Sin. It hadn't been much fun at all.

The instinct to flee was overwhelming and flee he did, into the police department. The same thoughts kept running through his head. This isn't fair! I shouldn't have to fight for my life in deadly circumstances that aren't even mine to be in. What is it about me that make these things happen to me? Am I some kind of disease? A carrier of a sickness that touches everyone around me and causes them to die? And it keeps me alive time and time again to suffer the losses?

A flash of movement caught his attention and he turned in time for something to knock him to his stomach onto the floor of the station. The heavy weight of the thing on top of him was crushing and he couldn't keep the scream from clawing its way out of his throat as sharp claws dug into his back. The heavy breathing from above his head told him he needed to get free. Immediately. He knew without seeing it, because of past experiences, what was on top of him, putting deep gouges in his back without even trying. Chris somehow managed to get an arm out from under himself with his recently acquired handgun gripped tight. He twisted his body around, as much as the biological experiment known as a hunter allowed him to. The monster raised a clawed hand up to swipe it back down in a slashing motion to rip into the flesh of his back and effectively eviscerate him.

He unloaded the entire clip into its face. No hesitation. The creature let out an ungodly screech and fell with a crash onto the floor, ceasing movement shortly after its fall. Chris dragged himself against the side of the monument at the center of the main lobby of the station. He sat leaning against it to catch his breath and let the momentary panic he'd felt reside. However, the pain was still there. Chris contemplated throwing himself into the path of a zombie or some other monster likely to be lurking in the shadows of the police precinct but discarded the idea almost as soon as he'd thought of it. Even though he knew in his mind he would come back to life fully healed, he couldn't purposefully end his life, no matter the pain.

He was a survivor, always had been. Ever since his parents had died in a car crash when he was young, the motto he'd ingrained into his mind was to live his life the best he could and always be there for his little sister. Of course, Claire wasn't so little any more, even if he would forever see her as that spunky kid who loved to give attitude. A loud echoing crash from somewhere within the precinct jarred him from thinking about his only remaining family member.

What was wrong with him? He seemed to be spacing out more and more and losing control of himself. The only time he'd ever really lost it and given in to tears and despair was when he believed his sister to be dead, murdered. Now Chris felt like he was prone to breaking down every other second, and physically he felt..off. The headache hadn't gone away since he had appeared in the city. Maybe it was why his thoughts were so jumbled and his concentration was basically nonexistent.

He didn't understand why he was appearing in these places in time or how it was even possible for him to do so. There were plenty of things he didn't understand and he was okay for the most part, with not understanding. Only if the lack of understanding was at least compensated with a solution to the circumstances and it didn't seem like that was going to happen. So Chris did the only thing he could think to do. He sat behind the police station's front desk and did nothing. Five minutes went by. Then ten minutes passed.

After a full twenty minutes, he was bored and in pain from the wounds on his back and the pounding of his head. The pain of his head was growing increasingly worse and when the world began to slant around him and he couldn't figure out which way was up and which was down, he knew he was moving through time once again. Suddenly he felt as though his chest was seizing up and he couldn't breathe. At some point Chris couldn't feel the ground beneath him any longer and he dropped like a rock, landing on a cold surface.

He was on a stone surface of ground, in a tunnel of some sort. There was nothing to identify where he was and he couldn't find anything which looked familiar to him. The former BSAA agent felt his back wounds flare up with renewed pain as they began bleeding again from the fall. That was when blood streamed from his nose and eyes and the beating of his heart was so severe that he started to feel there was no air passing into his lungs. He coughed, blood spurting from his mouth, and his strength abandoned him. Chris toppled to the floor and the all too familiar black of unconsciousness closed around him. The last thought he had was how incredibly painful this was and then he thought nothing more.


	29. No Way Out

Chapter 28

-No Way Out-

He awoke groggily and was surprised to find he didn't hurt. The surprise faded when he became attune to something stuck in his arm and that instead of being on the ground, he was lying on a bed. The thing in his arm was an IV line connected to a bag which he guessed to be fluids or possibly some sort of medicine. The former BSAA soldier didn't know much about medical care. He could splash some disinfectant on a wound and throw a patch over it but that was pretty much the extent of his expertise. In their little makeshift team it was Wesker who had the advanced education and knew all about the biology of the human body. Eva knew almost as much as her father as well, but without the experience of using it in real life as Chris suspected the eldest Wesker had done.

Chris groaned when the pain in his chest and head steadily started to sneak back in as his awareness sharpened. Without realizing it his eyes had closed and he forced them open again when he swore he heard gunfire somewhere in the near distance. Wherever he'd ended up this time, it wasn't safe if there was shooting going on. He sat himself up and tried to climb off of the bed. Chris only managed to stumble onto the floor with a grunt. He yanked the IV out of his arm and immense exhaustion swept over him. For a minute he had to sit on the floor and catch his breath, all from trying to stand up. Vaguely, he noticed his shirt was gone and his abdomen was wrapped tight with bandages. He also observed he was in a small shed of some kind.

He dragged himself to his feet and over to an old rectangular chest across from the bed, where he'd spotted his

missing shirt. He put the shirt on despite the dried bloodstains on the back and the tears where the Hunter's claws had dug in. The exhaustion returned after such a small task and his chest physically ached with enormous pains. After the past incidents with Eva and death, he could actually think it and know he wasn't wrong because he had felt this many times, when he knew if he didn't get help his body would cease functioning.

He knew he was dying.

"I'm dying." Chris said out loud, talking to himself. "Even though I'm infected with the R-Virus, I can feel myself dying. I guess Umbrella was wrong, there is something that can kill our kind. Course, coming across a machine capable of sending someone through time sporadically isn't exactly the easiest way to murder someone."

"Time travel?" A familiar voice came from behind him. "That explains your aged appearance though it is not something I expected to ever see Umbrella accomplish. My assumption is the time travel aspect of this machine you speak of was in all probability, a side effect or mistake of their original intentions."

Somehow Chris thought he would have been more surprised Albert Wesker was the one to stumble across him but he wasn't.

"Where am I? What year is it?" Chris asked the older man, turning to face him only after he spoke.

Wesker was dressed completely in black, no surprises there. He wore black shoes, black slacks, a black turtleneck shirt, a black dress jacket over it, and black sunglasses. The former BSAA member hadn't expected to see the man standing slightly behind the tall blonde man, leaning against a nearby wall. Jack Krauser had his arms crossed against his chest and was watching Chris silently with somewhat of a curious stare.

"Europe, 2004." the tyrant answered before inquiring, "What year are you from?"

Chris felt his body start to tremble at the strain of standing. He did his best to hide it from the other two men.

"I belong in 2009. Where I came from, however, Raccoon City, 1998. Hell of a thing, witnessing what happened there firsthand..." he trailed off, his expression grave.

He found himself staring back at Jack Krauser. Seeing him here in 2004 meant Krauser had met him before Colorado. This made him wonder why the man hadn't said anything. He'd assumed the man had only known him because of the information network. People like Krauser, basically mercenaries, got all sorts of information whenever they needed it. Now he was learning this mercenary had met him before and that was the real reason he had needed no introduction to Chris. This time travel situation was more confusing than he'd previously thought.

"Why did you help me? You could have left me there to die."

"We both know I didn't really help you." Wesker informed him, his tone nonchalant. "As long as you continue to travel through time, your body will continue to break down as it fights the rapid movement of the particles of matter which make up your body, each time you move to a different place in time. The human body is fragile and only capable of enduring so much strain before the inevitable occurs."

"Death." Chris finished, matching the tyrant's indifferent tone of speaking. "Been there, done that."

The blunt statement piqued Wesker's interest.

"Is that so?"

Chris chose to ignore the question and let himself sink to the floor, his back against the chest behind him.

"Europe huh? So you must be after a sample of Las Plagas."

Krauser appeared stunned at first until he recalled the whole time traveling situation. Then he merely seemed interested in listening to Wesker as the former Umbrella employee began a new line of questioning.

"Whenever you and I cross paths, Chris, you are always full of fury towards me. This time, you are quite calm. I find it hard to believe time would have absolved you of such hatred. And judging by the build up in muscle tone, you've clearly been thinking of me, hm?"

Chris realized he was actually feeling strong enough to stand and he got back to his feet. His body wasn't giving up on him just yet. He examined the blonde man's face, as though searching for the answers to questions he'd wondered about the former STARS captain for as long as he had known him. As usual, nothing was revealed to him. A cool and collected face, betraying no emotion, was all that stared back at him.

The tyrant arched an eyebrow as Chris continued to stare at Wesker without uttering a single word. At the moment he was thinking back to the past. To the mansion he had only recently revisited, courtesy of the Obliterator. He seriously doubted Wesker would ever understand how much hurt he had caused when he betrayed the STARS. Sure the man knew he'd effectively murdered members of the STARS Bravo and Alpha teams by leading them to the area around the mansion and inside of the God-forsaken place as well. And it had been done all for the sake of gathering test data to find how well the bio-weapons did against trained soldiers.

Wesker understood the physical components of everything perfectly. But the psychological effects of his failure to meet his duty as a superior officer, the trust issues it still caused in Chris even to this very day... The former STARS member knew Wesker was right about one thing. The fury. He knew it was true that he was angered by the superhuman's ability to stay alive and continue to inflict his evil upon the world. Even though in his proper timeframe he was working with Wesker against Umbrella's legacy, he suspected the tyrant had side projects and plans going at the same time that he simply wasn't privy to.

He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening slightly as he looked that smug face over. Chris was furious with an intensity that could only come when a person you cared about deeply hurt you. Time had passed but the lives that had been cost because of the betrayal couldn't be fixed. His friends were gone and they could never come back. Even putting Wesker aside for a moment, there were still the things Umbrella had done to so many innocents.

Umbrella was done for but now Darius Greene had had a change of heart and was attempting to keep Umbrella alive through the use of the Obliterator. Chris knew from experience that when a bio-weapon was relied upon, it usually ended in disaster and the loss of thousands of lives. Now he was wondering what was going to happen if this was really it for him. Was he going to continue traveling through time to random people and events he was familiar with until his body gave out and he died? If so, it wouldn't be long now, maybe one or two more times before his heart would probably explode out of his chest. It wasn't the most pleasant thought but there was little point in thinking positive when so much was so wrong. No such thing as dying with dignity.

When both of Wesker's eyebrows went up and Krauser shifted off of the wall and straightened up, Chris became acutely conscious that he had said the last part out loud. There was a long moment of silence.

"I agree, there is no graceful method of dying..." Wesker finally said slowly. "Somehow I don't see you to be one to care how they go out, so long as it's for the sake of another. Right, Chris?"

He let out an audible groan and rolled his eyes. "Figures I'd be stuck with you in my time of dying. I'm so tired of this. Nothing is ever as it should be."

Krauser shrugged and lowered his arms to his sides. "What people deserve to have rarely happens."

The blonde haired tyrant glanced back at his comrade. Chris wished he could have seen what look he was giving the other man. It was probably one the younger man had received from Wesker many times. Since he didn't see it, he chose instead to drop his face into his hands and moved them up to rub against his temples. The migraine was back and the feelings of helplessness he'd been having more and more since the mission in Africa, returned with it. He was growing more restless as well. Eva and the others were in an Umbrella facility with Greene and who knew what other monsters. He wanted to be back with them. They might need his help and he wouldn't be there to give it unless he could somehow find a way to return to his time.

"I need to get back," he blurted out without thinking but he didn't regret it because he knew this was what he wanted more than anything. "Please, is there anything you can think of that might take me back?"

Wesker and Krauser didn't answer right away, instead exchanging glances with one another. After a minute, the muscular mercenary removed a handgun and two extra clips from his belt and handed the items to him.

"The gun's loaded with a fresh clip so you've got a total of 45 rounds."

When Krauser stepped back again, Wesker told Chris what he thought on the subject of time travel.

"Think about what time is. What is the one thing that remains the same with time?"

Chris wasn't entirely certain where his former boss was going with this. He thought about his life and the shit he'd been through.

"Nothing ever remains the same with time." Chris told Wesker with a frown. The frown lifted after he finished that thought to the other two. "Change. Things are always changing with time."

"Correct. Therefore, perhaps if you can find something to hold on to, something that is a constant in your life in the year you rightfully belong, then maybe it will be enough to take you back there."

"A constant?" Chris pondered aloud to the other men. He closed his eyes to better concentrate.

His thoughts immediately went to Eva. He had first met her a few months ago in Africa and had eventually made a connection with her. It was one that was difficult to understand because to him it felt like possible feelings of a romantic sort. That was something he would not tolerate because she was half his age. There was no way he would ever pursue a relationship with her on that basis alone, even if he was aware of her deep interest in him. And there was also the fact she was a Wesker...

"Anything come to mind?" he heard Krauser asking him. "Anything at all?"

"Her."

Neither man asked who "her" was. Instead Wesker prodded for him to keep going.

"Yes? What makes her your constant? What is it that makes her the first thing to come to mind?"

"What she means in me and me in her. Strength. She is what's keeping me going. She's what saved me. That girl has just made me realize something important... I used to live my life accepting that life couldn't be any different because when I thought that way, it made things hurt a lot less. It made life actually bearable. I thought I'd lost that feeling over the last couple of months and I thought I was going to lose myself completely. She's the one who kept me from going over the edge. Her and her blue orchids."

He smiled to himself at the remembrance of that day when he had gone out with Eva to buy her a new lamp after he'd broken the old one her aunt had given to her. She really loved blue orchids. Orchids were a symbol of strength, just like Eva was the strength for Chris. The young girl had been telling him about the flowers she favored above all others at a very inopportune time, when their apartment had been under assault by Umbrella soldiers.

"Did you know orchids are said to have healing power? I wonder if they could heal your wounds, Chris... You know, the ones inside of you."

Before he could think much more on the subject, he felt his stomach twisting into knots, the migraine so piercing sharp that he saw white spots.

"It's-happening-uhhnn..." Chris managed to utter before doubling over and dropping to his knees.

"Remember what I said."

He heard Wesker's voice and then the world vanished around him. When it came back to him, he was once again lying on his back staring up at a night sky. Blood ran freely down his face from his nose and mouth. He was probably bleeding from his eyes and ears as well but he didn't check. He didn't want to know how bad it was. A low growl brought him to his feet in an instant. He brought the handgun up and fired into the skull of a virus infected dog that had been poised to leap at him from a few feet away.

There was a door directly in front of him, past the dog's limp form, and an elevator on his left. Another door was farther away to his right, and beneath his feet was grass. He knew this place. Rockfort Island, towards the end of 1998. Rockfort, the place his sister had been taken by Umbrella, most likely to be left to die in a cell or used in a horrific experiment of some kind. Actually, he had Wesker to partially thank for Claire's escape from the island. The man was the one behind an attack which had set the T-Virus loose on the island, killing the guards and employees. Of course, with the number of experiments unleashed as a result of the remote Umbrella facility being bombed, Claire almost died in her attempt to survive the monsters.

Chris had been on this island once before. It had been hell enough the first time and now here he was again. A low rumbling sound came from beneath the earth. It had been ten years but that wasn't nearly long enough for him to forget what was lurking beneath the soil. The former agent turned vigilante for justice ran for the door closest to him. He had little interest in waiting around to get swallowed whole by an enormous mutated worm. He'd killed the worm once and found himself with no desire to attempt to defeat the worm a second time. Chris slammed the door shut behind him and glanced around, eyes alert and careful.

He stood on black and white checkered floor. There were pay phones on his left, a wooden door straight ahead, two doors on his right, and an open doorway past those two doors. Chris planned to wait out this location he'd ended up in. The thing about plans? They rarely unfolded exactly as they should. The soldier only managed to remain alone for five minutes. Then he heard scratching at the door on his right. A low, eerily sad moan reached his ears from beyond the door which looked as though it led into a type of office. The sound was disquieting and reflex found him checking the ammo in his handgun. Fourteen rounds left in the clip loaded in his weapon, the safety was off, and it was ready to be fired.

Turns out, being prepared was an excellent thing to be at that moment. Especially when two hunters came through the opened doorway at a dead run and didn't slow as they spotted him. As they drew nearer at a rapid pace, he noticed they were actually sweepers and not hunters. It meant he was that much luckier because this form of hunter had poisonous talons. Apparently sarcasm was a mistake at the current time because it slowed his movements down by maybe a second as he concentrated on clearing his mind of anything but the creatures bearing down on him. He shot one of them three times in the face and shifted the gun to the other one, only too late to realize there was a third one behind him that had gone unnoticed.

The former BSAA agent did the only thing he could think to do when he was being attacked from opposite sides at a deadly speed. He ducked. The humanoid reptilians smashed into one another and Chris used it to his advantage and ran. One of them managed to find their balance quicker than the other and pursued him beyond the door as he ran back into the grassy yard. He stopped running, spun around, and opened fire. He hit it with every shot but nothing vital, and the sweeper slashed a claw across his chest when it reached him. Wincing, he fell to the ground hard. He kept his composure being the trained soldier that he was, and took out the creature with another couple of bullets. The creatures were so fast it was terrifying.

"Damn rabbit." Chris commented as he stared down at the corpse.

There were two bullets left in the clip. He discarded it in favor of a full clip and chambered a round. Chris doubted it would be long until another experiment of Umbrella's came across him. He placed a hand against the deep cut to his chest and his palm came back bloody. Already he could feel the poison working its way through his bloodstream.

"Not good."

He wondered if he was eaten or torn into pieces by one of the monsters, whether his body would still regenerate anew like it usually could because of the virus. Not much he could do against the freaks of nature if he was a dead body awaiting his revival. As he jogged over to the door on the other side of the yard, the better to be quick and go unnoticed by the worm hiding beneath the soil, Chris remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He was supposed to be trying to get back to the time he belonged in. He was supposed to find a way to return to Eva and the way to do that was with her. The blue orchids that she loved so much. That was his way home and he knew it.

Was there something he needed to do? Something to be said out loud? What would be the trigger to send him home? Did it only take a mere thought? He was certainly thinking centrally on Eva Jane Wesker and the flowers she adored so much but nothing was happening. Chris was still firmly in place as he moved through the doorway, closing the door behind him. He found himself staring at a large army tank parked a few yards away from him. No! No tank. Flowers. Blue flowers! Blue orchids to be precise...

He felt the twist in his stomach, the migraine back full force, and his heart was pounding with such insistence that it hurt him to even stand. Chris sank to his knees, conscious of the poison overwhelming his body at the same time as the pains that occurred when he was about to travel through time. He found himself actually afraid because he didn't know. He didn't know if he was going to survive another shifting through time periods.

As he felt the tug of being pulled out of the place in time he currently was, he thought about Eva and whether or not he was going to make it back to his own time. If he ended up in another place in time, he knew he couldn't hold out much longer. The poison was weakening him and Chris had the feeling it would be enough to allow another travel in time to kill him. If he didn't return back where he belonged this time, he never would.


	30. Conflicted

Chapter 29

-Conflicted-

"Where is he? Where did he go? Dad?"

Wesker felt the strain in the area of his heart. The tightening he'd felt when his own daughter had told him that she hated him. The ache was there for a different reason this time. Eva was panicking and looked downright scared.

"Please, dad, tell me. Where could he have gone? How could he vanish like that?"

He did what he always did in any situation. He remained calm and silent while observing his surroundings. Greene was backing towards the room's only exit and was nearly out. The expression on his face told Wesker the man had an idea of what happened to Chris. More explosions rocked the entire building, including the room they were standing in. Rather an impressive feat considering the Umbrella building was a large one. HUNK had gone all out with the explosives it would seem.

"Remain here with Eva, Kennedy." Wesker ordered the government agent. "Ada and Claire stay too."

"Dad-no-wha-"

Wesker never heard the rest of what his daughter had to say because he was already running full speed out of the room, Krauser quick on his heels. Darius Greene was nowhere to be seen. An inhuman scream rang out, the kind a predator releases from deep within the throat right before they attack. Wesker continued at a fast walk down the corridor with Krauser, only pausing at the turn in the hallway. He glanced sideways at Krauser and when he did, the man looked at him in turn.

"Hunters," the former government agent turned Umbrella agent turned mercenary, stated what they both knew. "At least six of them."

The soldier pulled his weapon and stepped around the corner, firing at the group of hunters running down the hall in their direction. While Krauser was shooting, Wesker moved full speed towards the T-Virus experiments. He tore them to pieces in about sixty seconds, angry and impatient to find Greene. They had to shut the machine off, and get Chris back. Eva wouldn't leave without him. He'd rather not either as much as he didn't want to admit that, and he never would out loud to anyone.

He could feel Krauser's eyes on him but the man knew better than to say anything, at least concerning his obvious fury apparent by way of his actions and the red eyes that were surely glowing through dark sunglasses.

"Must have been freed or escaped from their cages when HUNK and his men initially breached the facility with explosives." Krauser assumed.

"This is Umbrella's last real facility, the corporation's really done for this time," he informed the other man, continuing down the corridor at a brisk pace. "No matter what Greene does, he won't have Umbrella backing him up. It's just a single man trying to do the impossible."

"It isn't so far-fetched that he could get himself enough employees from Umbrella to reactivate the company." Krauser noted, catching up to the man in a couple of steps. "This man was able to procure mercenaries and equipment for his cause and was successful in dismantling Umbrella practically on his own."

"It is, because I won't allow it. I'm going to hunt him down and kill him."

Krauser didn't say anything else to him and Wesker preferred it that way. He didn't feel like holding a conversation at the moment. It was a one-track mind for him currently. The man was out for blood but he needed answers first. Eva needed Chris back and okay and so he would do what he could to make that happen. He didn't like Chris, the man was an enemy of his that had showed himself to be quite talented in being an inconvenience for him when he'd attempted to make his schemes a reality in the past. But his daughter liked the man, therefore he would do everything within his power to save Chris's life.

Not having any particular direction to go, they moved forward, keeping to the left whenever there was more than one alternative. Wesker had had Krauser working for him enough times to know how the man operated. He was a soldier through and through, efficient and loyal. Loyal to those he deemed worthy of his loyalty at least. The man knew with Krauser there was nothing to be concerned about. The man would walk beside him here and now, and they would make an effective team. Wesker alone was a more than formidable opponent for Darius Greene. With a not so human Jack Krauser along with him, who especially liked to toy with others, Greene was going to wish he'd never crossed Albert Wesker.

There came a sound from the other side of a door the pair were jogging past. Wesker was the first to come to a stop abruptly, raising a gloved hand as a signal for the other man to stop. The scarred soldier came to a halt and stood completely still, the two of them listening. The distinct clink of something light hitting metal reached their ears again, and then a loud echoing slap of metal against metal. Though his attention remained on the door, Wesker felt Krauser shift his eyes sideways towards him where he was standing motionless, expression made unreadable by the black sunglasses covering his eyes as always.

In some respects, he was a very simple man and Krauser knew this. Krauser would know that a simple reaction as to stand unmoving after hearing such a blatant sound was an order in itself. There was no hesitation when the scarred man took one step closer to the door with one foot and used the other to kick open the metal door. Wesker smiled. Things went so much more smoothly when he was with someone who spoke his language.

He followed Krauser into the room and wasn't surprised to find they were expected. The noise had been too loud, too intentional. Four men decked out in Umbrella soldiers' typical black combat gear and masks were waiting for them, standing directly across from the doors with assault rifles poised in their direction. As soon as both men were inside the room, the weapons locked onto their forms, targeting the center of their chests. A smirk, minuscule but acknowledged by himself at the very least, appeared on his face. Men and their guns. It was rather pathetic how often this sort of weapon was relied on to do violence to others. Wesker curled his leather covered fingers, forming a fist. This was going to be too easy. He could at least cure these men of their stupidity by ending their pitiful, meaningless existence here and now.

"I wouldn't do anything too rash."

Wesker's tightening fist preparing for the opportunity for fresh slaughter stilled as a woman's voice broke the tension between the armed Umbrella soldiers of Murphy's. The same soldiers now presumably taking orders from Darius Greene after his recent take over of the corporation. The woman who had spoken wore a bullet proof vest of a dark blue color over a short-sleeved shirt of a similar color. She wore black dress pants and black dress shoes with thick heels for better stability and movement. The woman was young, late 20's to early 30's at the most, and yet Wesker felt she was anything but inexperienced. Her long black hair fell smoothly down her back and blue eyes sparkled with interest as she gazed at the two of them.

"These weapons are loaded with ammunition containing an experimental virus designed to be specifically efficient and deadly for inhuman men such as yourselves. One that if successful, injects poison into the body and kills the subject once the potent toxin reaches the heart," the young woman told them. "A poison of this magnitude should be capable of eliminating even you or your meddling daughter, who doesn't have the good sense to die when she should. The virus eats away at everything, even other viruses. It's what makes it so effective against superhuman beings such as the two of you gentlemen."

Krauser shifted as his restless nature proved too much for him to remain inactive any longer and the weapons were gripped more tightly by the four geared up soldiers. Wesker could read them easily. They were anxious and their fingers were itching to pull the trigger on himself and Krauser because they were afraid. These men must have been familiar with who Wesker was and what he had done in the past to others. It was wise for them to be scared. Their end would be soon to arrive and would be brought about gladly by his hand. Wesker observed the other man hesitate from the violence he so eagerly yearned to dish out, by the motion of the soldiers, choosing to speak instead.

"If this virus existed you would have used it by now. I think you're lying."

"I am not lying, Jack Krauser," the woman began, pausing to bring her handgun down hard on the metal table to her left.

The noise the weapon made as it hit the table told Wesker that this was the noise he and Krauser had heard earlier when they had been out in the hallway. She left the gun there and moved closer to them by about a foot.

"Richard Murphy was our president, our boss. Some have accepted the new leadership without much question or fight, but others such as myself... We merely entertain this Darius Greene's power play. I worked directly under Richard and therefore the position of president belongs to me. I made no mention of this new specialized weapon against Umbrella's greatest threats in the hopes it would get him killed. I mean honestly, offering an anti-virus of the Regenerative virus to the enemy? What a fool."

"So the stuff Greene has, it really is a cure for the R-Virus?"

Wesker shifted his eyes to Krauser and the other man's gaze flickered briefly over to him before returning to the young female. He suspected the man had asked it for his sake and he didn't like that. He could deal with his own problems, in his own way. It was unnecessary to ask the question, thereby possibly revealing the concern he did very well hold for his daughter and her body being contaminated by a virus, even if that virus kept her alive should she have the misfortune of dying. The misfortune that she had had on more than one occasion now. Likely his own fault since she was only in danger so long as she remained in his company. Perhaps he would have to distance himself from her again like he had done for the majority of Eva's life, when he had been an employee of Umbrella Corporation.

"It should work. There isn't a definitive answer or completely conclusive finding on the particular anti-virus but it should work. I put plenty of hours into concocting the antidote as well as these highly toxic bullets aimed at your hearts so let's calm down and not make any dumb mistakes like getting hostile. Wouldn't want you to do anything that would jeopardize the opportunity to see your friend. Oh, and how rude of me. I never introduced myself now, did I? My name is Dr. Mya Sheppard. Mya is fine, really. Okay, Jack? Albert?"

"It's Wesker."

He was speaking for the first time and found perhaps cruel satisfaction at the flinch clearly visible by the good doctor when he apparently surprised her by choosing to talk. Or perhaps it was the tone he'd inserted carefully into the words. The tone which promised her a prompt death would be coming to her if she didn't move along with what she blatantly desired to share with them. She cleared her throat and proceeded with her speech, composure regained smoothly. Mya pointed to one of four computers lined up in a row on a second metal table to her right. The third computer from the left was the only one turned on and the small monitor displayed a screen saver of the red and white Umbrella logo.

"Not interested in getting acquainted? That's fine. It is of no consequence to me. Let's get to the point then."

Mya strolled over to the softly humming computer and placed her hand on the mouse. The screen flickered to life, displaying the desktop. There were a few files saved to the desktop and the female doctor clicked on the file labeled: Profiles. Multiple windows popped up and she browsed through them, apparently looking for a specific one. When she found the profile she was searching for, she clicked it to full screen and stepped back so he and Krauser could get a clear view of the monitor.

An image of Chris Redfield filled up half of the screen. Wesker's eyes narrowed. The picture was of Chris walking down a sidewalk with his sister Claire beside him. Claire's mouth was partially open as though in speech with her brother, while Chris's attention was elsewhere. His head was turned to the side, away from Claire, a slight frown on his face. Good boy, Chris. Very good. The former BSAA soldier's head was tilted in the direction of the person who had taken the picture. Wesker wondered if the brunette had actually gotten a glimpse of the individual carrying the camera that had taken his picture without even realizing it.

Wesker turned his eyes away from the image and to the text beside it. In larger print there was written: test subject number 17, and below that in smaller print there were statistics about Chris. Age, weight, sex, and more details about physical characteristics such as eye and hair color were included. Mya scrolled down the screen with the mouse to the bottom, where the latest entry had been entered. The time stamp put it at having been put into the computer only minutes earlier and it made his eyes flash in curiosity. The entry simply read:

Last known status: Deterioration of mental and physical health continuing at an accelerated rate. Test subject is expected to follow the same pattern as the previous 16 experiments. Onset of side effects found associated with constant, uncontrollable time traveling; headaches, seizures, chest pains, and bleeding from the brain, have already been displayed as with the other 16. The randomized time traveling shows no sign of ceasing, however, this particular subject has endured far longer than any of the other subjects.

Further examination is warranted and an in depth autopsy will be conducted after the suspect has died. 17 is suspected to be infected by the Regenerative virus, enabling survival for so long. Despite this difference from the other tests, subject 17's heart is expected to swell and then burst, with the result of instantaneous death as the other 16 died. Experiment deemed another failure. End of report. -Dr. S.

He had begun reading over the entry a second time when the room started to shake. Wesker scanned the room to find a reason for the room's sudden instability but no sooner had the quaking of the room began, when it ceased. There was a single difference to the room. A man was lying in a crumpled heap on the metal table where Dr. Sheppard had left her gun.

"Chris," he heard himself murmur.

Wesker moved over to the unconscious man, ignoring the guns following his every movement.

"I promised you the opportunity to see your friend and here he is." Mya said to them, walking over to Wesker and Chris with that shine in her eyes which seemed to give suspicion to him each time he noticed it.

He turned Chris onto his back in order to get a better look at the condition the man was in. It wasn't good.

Blood leaked from his nose, mouth, and ears. Wesker shook his shoulder gently but firmly and received no response whatsoever. He cracked open an eye to find the pupil equal and responsive. A good sign, though the thought didn't last when the brunette lying on the table began to twitch erratically. The small spasms grew until they became full on seizures and more blood ran from his orifices. The bleeding was internal, primarily in the brain judging by the seizures and focused bleeding in the head region.

"What's wrong with him?" Krauser demanded.

The doctor gave him a small smile that was more for appearances than for anything else. She placed a finely manicured hand over her gun, the smile still in place.

"Do you see?" Mya asked Wesker, after sparing Krauser a last look of her fake smile before allowing it to slip away. "Do you see the pain your friend is in?"

She lowered the gun to waist level and moved around the table to stand on the opposite side of where Wesker stood. The young scientist seemed to be torn between what exactly she wished to do at the moment, with Chris in particular he suspected, and she settled for continuing to talk.

"Umbrella has been working for some time on finding a way to harness the time traveling side effect the machine creates when it is activated. I've been observing this test subject much more closely than the others. There's just something about this one that keeps me watching him. Know what I mean?"

"I do." Wesker answered without thinking.

He could feel Krauser's gaze on him, surprised by his given response. And such an immediate one at that. Wesker didn't know why he'd said it either but it couldn't be unsaid. Mya didn't seem to understand how strange it was to hear those words leave Albert Wesker's lips. Instead she gave a look of acknowledgment to his answer and ran a hand through the strands of her long, fine hair. Then reaching down, she ran her fingers through Chris's brown locks, brushing the hair back in an almost loving manner.

"He's lasted much longer then the rest. Is able to take much more pain than the others could. He continues to arrive here, in this precise spot, at random but constant intervals. Like the others, he probably doesn't even realize he is returning back to his proper time on a regular basis. However, Chris Redfield doesn't simply come and go like the rest did. This subject has been having dreams. Actually, nightmares would be a more exact term for what he displays."

Chris's shaking body had become still once more, and Wesker, whose eyes had moved to Mya, returned his attention to the former subordinate of his. The younger man had begun to shift slightly on the metal table, lips opening and closing as if struggling to find something to say. Nothing audible was actually making it past his lips but the sweat pouring down his face and the discomfort he was obviously experiencing from whatever was happening in his subconscious mind, was evidence enough that Chris was having unpleasant dreams. The brunette's hands curled into fists, an angry scowl marred his face, and then he spoke Wesker's name. To say he howled out the name would be more accurate. More quiet murmuring followed the violent outburst before he became more restful, outwardly at least.

Wesker's interest in experiments drew his attention over to the computer Mya had been using earlier and he walked over to it, Krauser moving to meet him by it. He scrolled through several of the profiles to get a better handle on what Umbrella's scientists had done with the testing and found himself disappointed with their work. The tests had given them no positive results and after 16 test subjects, they had made little progress. He glanced in Mya's direction where she remained on the other side of the room with her men and Chris's unmoving form. She appeared devoted entirely to watching Chris's face as she continued to brush his messy hair back with her slender fingers. Wesker had to wonder if Dr. Sheppard was "all there" in the head.

Either way, he wasn't going to let opportunity get away from him. He caught Krauser's eye and the man watched the screen with Wesker as he clicked out of the file labeled profiles, to get a peek at the other files residing on the desktop. The one that caught his scrutinizing gaze was a file labeled: Experiment Locations. He opened the file and his eyes crossed back and forth across pages of information rapidly. It had only been a minute or two of reading when the sound of metal clicking grabbed his and Krauser's concentration away from the especially intriguing information contained within the computer.

Mya had cocked the handgun in her grip and when she saw she had their attention, the Umbrella scientist pressed the weapon against the side of Chris's head.

"He is in so much pain," she said, repeating her earlier comment about the constant process of dying the former BSAA agent was going through as he continued to time travel uncontrollably. "It would be a kindness to end his suffering here and now, wouldn't it?"

"There's no point in pulling the trigger." Krauser reasoned, sounding confident in his words. "He's infected with the R-Virus. He'll just come back again."

"Maybe," the young doctor said as she ran the gun down the side of Chris's face before placing the tip back to his temple. "Maybe not though. A moment or so before the two of you arrived here, I was examining blood I drew from him the last time he appeared in this room and found there to be some rather intriguing anomalies. His blood is different than what it should be for one infected with the Regenerative virus. In our experiences dealing with such a virus anyway."

When she said the last part, she was looking in Wesker's direction. He remained near the computers but no longer paid them any attention. His eyes were fixed on Dr. Sheppard alone and after some brief calculating in his head, he had come to the conclusion that her life was forfeit. He felt things would be better for him if she was no longer a part of the equation as Mya had now revealed herself to be an unpredictable variable. Unpredictability was a weakness in his mind. An individual should know precisely what they wanted and how they would go about getting it at all times. Wesker didn't see a future for this woman any longer. No, she would have to go.

Mya was unaware of his conclusion for her and she continued explaining her experience observing Chris's time traveling.

"To give the short version of it," she began.

Wesker's eyes narrowed. Or maybe she did notice something was amiss. The female scientist didn't seem the type to be brief about anything she wished to talk about and yet she was showing restraint for the first time with her speaking.

"His cells have changed. There are still the cells containing the R-Virus but they have lightened in their green color. My initial thoughts are that there has been a recent major change in the make up of his body's chemistry. I don't know what that change is but I certainly plan on finding out. My theory is that the constant altering of his body's cellular structure in order to travel through time on more than one occasion has also managed to break down the virus, perhaps permanently. This could very well result in the extermination of the Regenerative virus from his system and if I am correct about that, then he can die."

Mya's hand holding the gun shifted and Wesker had his gun out and aimed at her head from where he stood over by the computers before anyone even knew he was moving. The four Umbrella soldiers became instantly alert and gripped their weapons as though their lives depended on them. Which they did of course. He thought to himself and the corner of his mouth turned upward in a slight smirk.

"End his life and I'll end yours."

It felt strange defending Chris Redfield's life. For him to do it with such ease and to find himself with little revulsion to the concept was new to Wesker. The doctor didn't get the chance to respond to Wesker's threat as right in front of their very eyes, Chris's still form lying on the table vanished. Mya's gun was now placed against nothing but air and the only proof the former BSAA agent had ever been there at all, were a few drops of blood he'd spilled onto the shiny steel table. Wesker used the distraction to his advantage and threw himself into the closely grouped armed men. He tore weapons from their masters, crushed bones with an inhumanly tight grip, and splattered blood across the lab's walls as he took their lives from them. The entire time Mya simply stood there in shock. She was trained, however, and snapped into awareness when Krauser attempted to come upon her from her left, the side away from where Wesker was nearly finished slaughtering the Umbrella soldiers in a matter of seconds.

He didn't know where the grenade had come from but suddenly it was in Mya's hand and he saw her throw it at Krauser as he was letting the last man fall to the ground. The bulky soldier of his didn't even flinch. Instead he twisted a leg around and kicked the small bomb with a heavy boot, sending the grenade flying back in the doctor's direction. Her eyes widened and she didn't even have time to duck as the bomb hit the floor near her and exploded. She went flying back into a set of glass shelves which shattered when her back made impact with them. The young woman landed in a twisted heap on the floor and didn't move again. Wesker stooped down to one knee and observed blood beginning to expand in a pool around Mya, her face coated in the crimson liquid, and then stood up. The entire building rocked as an explosion much larger than the one that had just gone off in the lab occurred, signaling HUNK's continued assault on Umbrella's central building.

"Maybe we should get back." Krauser suggested, hardly sparing Mya's body a glance before heading to the door out of the room.

Wesker had failed to locate Darius Greene. He had found Chris but failed to find a way to stop the time traveling. Perhaps the solution was with the source, the machine itself. Dr. Sheppard seemed to think Chris would be dead if the constant time traveling continued for much longer and he couldn't allow that. Eva would never forgive him if Chris died that way. Ignoring the blood that coated the front of his clothes and his gloves, he looked to Krauser and nodded his head once.

"Let us take a closer look at the Obliterator."


	31. Diminishing Hope

Chapter 30

-Diminishing Hope-

When he lost his parents in a car crash, Chris never took life for granted from that day forward. His little sister, Claire, was dependent on him and needed someone to raise her right. He had made it his mission to do so while still following his belief in doing right by everyone else. That was where the Air Force had come in and it was his dedication to keeping his fellow soldiers safe, sometimes requiring him to talk back to his bosses, which had ticked off his superiors and he was discharged without honors. Soon after, his friend Barry suggested he apply for a position in the Raccoon branch of the STARS organization and the rest was history.

Lying in a crumpled heap on a metal floor, he knew he wasn't back. He was too tired to move and he didn't see the point in moving anyway. Wesker had been wrong. Chris had found a constant to hold onto and it hadn't worked. He didn't know how to make it work. Mere thought wasn't enough. So what was?

A hand touched his back and Chris felt himself stiffen but he did little else except tilt his head sideways to try and get a look at who was kneeling beside him. He knew the face even though he couldn't place the name. The man was likely around his age, maybe older, with light brown hair that fell slightly over blue eyes. The eyes were kind and they peered down at him with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. There was suspicion there as well which Chris couldn't fault the man for. He'd be awfully suspicious if a bloodied and worn man like him suddenly dropped out of the sky.

Darkness began to grow around the edges of his vision. He tried to take in more of the appearance of the man before he lost consciousness. A white dress shirt and red tie, dark slacks, and a long white lab coat was worn by the man. He knew he should know this person but it wouldn't come to him.

"When is it? What year?" Chris managed to gasp out even as his mouth filled with blood and the poison continued to flow through his body.

Surprise crossed the man in the lab coat's face. "It's July 23. The year's 1998."

"Worst time of my life and I keep coming back to it..."

"What was that?" the man asked him.

Chris didn't respond. He was too busy focusing on the pain he was feeling. The poison from the sweeper's claws was strong but it was nothing compared to the throbbing in his head. The headache didn't disappear this time and the pain didn't lessen even after the tilting of the world had settled once more.

"Albert. This man literally appeared out of nowhere. Albert? What is it? Do you know this man?"

Chris felt strong fingers clasp around his chin and lift his head up. His eyes were starting to slide shut as they grew heavy with exhaustion. He managed to peel them open one last time and who he saw just didn't surprise him any more. As he stared into the face of a man with combed back blonde hair and blue eyes obscured by black sunglasses, Chris managed to utter one last thing before he passed out.

"Go fuckin' figure I'd run into you again."

He came to, hearing voices conferring with one another. There was a blanket thrown over him and brushing a hand briefly over the front of his face, he found the blood had been cleaned off. Chris sat himself against the wall the best he could and checked his condition. Even though he was wearing his tattered shirt, upon lifting the shirt up he saw fresh bandages were wrapped around his waist, up to the lower part of his chest, to cover the scratches on his chest and back. Strangely, he felt both weak and stronger at the same time.

The migraine remained, an everlasting reminder of his mortality and rapidly approaching demise, but it was as if he'd gotten a second wind.

"Albert, he's awake."

Chris followed the direction of the voice, shifting his head to the left. The man in the lab coat was seated in front of a table with multiple monitors lined up in rows above him. Albert Wesker was standing beside the chair watching one of the screens. He was fully decked out in his STARS uniform.

"Birkin administered an antidote to the poison running through your veins," the 1998 Wesker informed him. "The venom entered your system through a wound on your chest. What sort of animal has poison like that in its claws? Intriguing..."

That explained it. He was slightly stronger because there was no longer poison gradually killing him. Of course, there was still the whole continuous time traveling which was most definitely killing him, but quietly.

"Another hour or so and you would have been dead. At least, you would be if you were entirely human, which you, Chris, are not."

His eyes widened with surprise. He didn't see how the Albert Wesker in this period in time could know something like that offhand.

"How-"

"We ran a few tests while you were out." the STARS captain explained. "Your body's immune system has been completely wiped out. The results from your tests were off the charts though, and..peculiar. They showed signs of a recently regrown kidney, lung, and heart. Now, tell me, how does one go about regrowing organs?"

He couldn't help rolling his viral infected eyes at them in exasperation.

"Wouldn't you like to know. You and your tests. Once a scientist, always a scientist, eh Wesker?"

"I admit, it is quite a startling discovery," the man in the lab coat, who Chris now recalled as being a scientist by the name of Dr. William Birkin, began. "Putting how you have even come to be here aside, the regrowth of cells in your body... I'd be interested in taking a few blood samples and-"

"No!"

Chris got to his feet as fast as he could. "This virus has done enough harm! She doesn't want it! I can tell. But they never gave her a choice. They never give anyone a choice."

Wesker and Birkin stared at him unblinkingly. Chris knew the two of them didn't understand and he had to be careful not to let too much slip out either. He was afraid if he somehow revealed too much or did something to make a change that carried on into the future, it would be for the worse. The former STARS member wasn't willing to take the risk. With the kind of luck he had, any change wouldn't likely be for the better.

He blinked. Twice. There was a little girl, ten at the most, with very bright blue-green eyes, and dark brown hair which just barely reached her thin shoulders. She was standing in the center of the room. Chris blinked rapidly a few times. The child didn't disappear.

"Who is that? Do you see-" Chris stopped himself.

He'd glanced over to Wesker and Birkin but when he turned back to the middle of the room, the young girl had vanished. Was he losing it?

Chris looked in the direction of the two scientists again and something else caught his attention, drawing his gaze to the monitors behind the other two men.

"Hey..is that Rebecca? You were watching her?!"

A closer look told him he was correct. There was an image of an 18-year-old Rebecca Chambers in her STARS uniform, wandering carefully down a narrow hallway in an unknown building. She was with the man he'd run into while by Joseph Frost's corpse in Raccoon Forest, Billy Coen.

"Focus, Chris." Wesker said to him. "Pay no attention to matters of the past. They mean little when you as you are can do nothing about them."

"Hard to focus when it feels like your head's being bashed in with a sledgehammer over and over. Anyway, I think I'm going crazy. Even if I get back where I belong, it won't do anyone any good if I'm a complete mess when I get there."

"You are not the only one capable of taking care of themselves. I'm sure those you left behind will be fine. Now, focus."

"What?!" Chris practically hissed to his former superior.

"I asked you a question." Birkin told Chris with a small smile.

It was maddening to him how kind and gentle the scientist appeared to be. Especially when he knew the experiments William Birkin had done with the T-Virus and the G-Virus. And to think, this monster was a family man with a wife and daughter. As most employees of Umbrella ended up, in September of the same year Chris was stuck in at the moment, Dr. Birkin would meet his most unfortunate end after becoming a monster when he injected himself with the G-Virus to avoid dying from multiple gunshot wounds. The hideous creature he had turned into had followed his sister around Raccoon City and tried to kill her several times.

"He's disoriented, incapable of paying attention for very long."

Chris vaguely heard Birkin say, and realized he had spaced out once again. He could feel his cheeks flushing a slightly pink hue of color in embarrassment at being called out on his inability to concentrate on any one thing for long. He didn't understand what was wrong with him. Was inattention a thing that came with dying? He supposed there seemed to be little purpose in paying attention to anything when nothing would matter once he was dead.

But there was one thing he could always seem to focus on. Albert Wesker.

"You don't even care do you? About what you've done. Oh, sorry, I should amend that. About what you're about to do. You're a murdering bastard and even with a daughter-" Chris cut himself off. He was saying more than he probably should be.

The other man's eyes narrowed at this slip of the tongue which revealed the awareness of his lineage, but Birkin was preoccupied by the other things the former BSAA soldier had said to them. The blue-eyed friend of Wesker's looked over at the man currently eying Chris with a rather unfriendly glint in his eye. Wesker felt the eyes on him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Relax, Birkin. You know what part you need to play in what happens tonight as do I. Things may not be going according to plan but they so rarely do. I will make sure it works out." Almost like an afterthought, Wesker added, "For the both of us."

If there was any further conversation between the two Umbrella employees, Chris was unaware of it. What he was aware of, was the shifting axis of his world as it moved around him and made him feel like throwing up. He found he was even too tired for expelling the empty contents of his stomach, and he merely let himself fall over onto his side. When the world was right-side up once more, Chris found himself in a rather different environment than any of the other times he traveled through time.

He was in a house. A nice house. He stood up from the linoleum floor of the kitchen and grimaced at the stain of blood he'd left behind on the light colored surface. His eyes scanned the room. It was relatively clean except for a few crayons and coloring books on the dining room table, and a green stuffed dinosaur sat on one of the chairs. There was a recipe book on top of the counter next to a pan and other cooking utensils. Chris could tell, this was a home where a family lived. As strange as it sounded, he could feel it in the atmosphere of the place.

It was an atmosphere of serene calm and safety. The place felt like home and that feeling was becoming eerie to Chris. He didn't know this house and yet it was familiar to him.

"Chris? What are you doing home? Is everything okay?"

The soft sound of a woman's voice caused him to turn. There was a female around the age of 40 standing in the doorway from the kitchen to the living room. Straight straw colored hair cascaded over her shoulders and down her back, amused blue eyes watching him. She came a few steps into the room and her eyes zeroed in on the blood coating a few of the tiles. Her oval face jerked back up and met his gaze. She seemed to take in his disheveled appearance and sickly pale complexion for the first time.

"Oh my God, what happened to you? Are-is there green in your eyes? I know you. That was never there before..."

Chris didn't know what to do. This wasn't like any of the other times he had time traveled. This was the first time he'd appeared somewhere he wasn't familiar with in the slightest.

The woman's confusion deepened and a frown creased her forehead. "You look younger, like when we first met... You look at least ten years younger than your 47!"

A blank stare was all he gave her. She knew him and believed he was 47. This time he had traveled into the future instead of the past. Twelve years into the future according to the woman's proclamation of how old he was supposed to be. If he was older, that meant he didn't have the Regenerative virus any more. He must have ended up taking the cure from Darius Greene then.

"Chris? Why won't you answer me? You're looking at me as though I were a stranger! What's going on? I'm your wife!"

The shock was evident on his face apparently, because the woman's frown softened and the tension in her voice was barely detectable. She placed a hand on her chest, her expression one somewhat of desperation.

"I'm your wife. My name is Amy Redfield. When we first met I was Amy Cross. We've been married for ten years. We have two children!"

"I'm sorry..I don't know..I-well-I-"

"Well what, Chris? Talk to me. Help me understand. Do I need to get the kids from my mother's?"

"What? Uh..no, not necessary. I don't know how long I'll be here."

"What do you mean? You're not making any sense. Does this have something to do with your job?" Amy questioned, the confusion returning full force.

He took a moment to breathe in deep and then exhaled slowly. "I don't know you. You probably won't believe me, but I traveled through time and somehow came to be here in this house."

"Our house," the woman corrected.

"Right..." Chris accepted her comment without giving it much thought.

He was too busy being flooded with emotions that felt estranged from himself. Like they weren't his even though they were, without a doubt. Chris's discovery that he was married to this beautiful woman in the future and had a family with her as well as a nice house, was amazing. There was a life of serenity without people and monsters trying to kill him. There was a world out there he could be a part of and not have to wonder how much longer it would be until he finally got killed. What he was feeling as he stood a few feet away from Amy was relief and comfort. He knew he was safe with her. It felt like happiness.

Chris closed the gap between the two of them and wiped a trail of crimson fluid off of his mouth with the back of his arm. He smiled, hoping to see her smile for the first time, and when the corner of her lips started to twitch, he knew she would. Amy smiled at him and a small laugh escaped from her throat.

"You're too young to be my Chris now and yet you're definitely my husband. Brown hair, brown eyes, and a smile that makes my stomach flutter every time. If you say you time traveled, then I believe you."

She put her arms around his neck and tugged him close so their lips were almost touching. They stared into each others' eyes for a long moment.

"I just want to see what it's like to kiss you," he said. And then he was kissing her.

It was when he was kissing her that he remembered Eva and he drew away from Amy. There was nothing going on with him and the youngest Wesker. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow betraying the young blonde girl even though he had no intention to ever pursue whatever it was he did feel for Eva. She was a kid. Seventeen. He was 35 and they were both going to stay those ages forever so long as the R-Virus continued to infect them.

Amy hadn't seemed to notice anything was wrong and she was peering at his face curiously now. The headache grew and Chris put a hand in front of his mouth as he started coughing. Red flecks of blood covered his palm and as he lowered his hand, Amy's gaze followed it.

"Are you sick? What's wrong with you?" she asked, clearly concerned.

Something blue caught his eye that he hadn't noticed earlier. There was a vase near the phone on the tabletop with blue flowers in it. They weren't only blue flowers. They were blue orchids. Even though the migraine was barely allowing him to think straight, he made himself focus on Amy and try to stay in this time period with her.

"Amy, where did you get those flowers?"

"What?" she seemed puzzled at the question. "You mean the orchids? Um, they were for you, I mean, the you from this time. Someone came to the house the other day, said they were a friend of yours. They gave me the orchids to give to you, saying it would help you get back. Back to where I don't know."

"A girl with blonde hair and green eyes?"

"Uh, no actually, a man. He did have blonde hair but I don't know about his eyes. The man was wearing sunglasses."

Wesker. The orchids didn't have to do with Eva only. It included her father too. Albert Wesker was the man who continued to be an unwanted constant in his life and Chris now had confirmation that would never change. The orchids stood for the Weskers and they were his anchor to where he really belonged.

Amy's expression became one of wonder. "Do you think they were actually for you? Maybe somehow he knew you would be showing up here? How is that possible?"

Chris had a feeling she was spot on but he couldn't tell her that because he was sliding to the ground, onto his knees. Blood dripped past his lips and his skull felt like it was splitting apart.

"Amy, I have to go now. I have to go."

Amy calling his name out was the last thing he heard, and then the darkness closed in around him as his world dissolved once again, the transition of traveling through time beginning. Where he would end up this time? Chris didn't know and he was beyond exhausted so he couldn't scrounge up the energy to care any longer. He wondered if it was useless to still have hope to return to his own time. He was just so tired...


	32. The Face of a Stranger

Chapter 31

-The Face of a Stranger-

Her father and the mercenary-for-hire that often worked for him had hardly vacated the room when someone she did not expect to see came walking in. Melody was here and she was literally strolling around as though there weren't deafening explosions going off all around. The question out of Eva's mouth was the one everyone present was likely to be wondering.

"Melody! How did you find us?"

Melody slowed her stroll and tore her gaze away from the gigantic machine in front of her as if realizing she wasn't alone for the first time. Though her eyes were positioned in Eva's direction, they were spaced out and not really locking on to anything.

"The one who came back to life after I killed her." Melody said with a smile.

"Uhh..." Eva began, stalling a bit because she wasn't sure how to react to the woman's strange behavior. "Yeah, that's me. How did you find us, Melody? How did you know the way?"

"I felt it."

"Excuse me?" Leon started

He sounded skeptical and Eva didn't want to waste time by any of them somehow ending up in an argument. Melody would answer as she had always done so before. She waited and her brief moment of patience paid off as the explanation came from the bizarre woman soon after Leon's skepticism.

"There was a feeling inside that came to me suddenly when I was in the theater. It drew me away from there and brought me to this place, to this building, to this machine. It is the machine from my dreams."

Melody gazed up in awe of the machine as she stared at it. "So much power..destructive power..."

Eva was beginning to get a little worried. It was as though the Obliterator had some sort of hold on the biological weapon created by Umbrella and was causing her to be pulled to it by an unseeable force. The concern quickly evaporated when Melody took her gaze from the lit up machine and somehow knew, without anyone telling her, the trouble Chris was in.

"The machine is capable of inducing time travel in someone standing near the machine when it is activated and they do not have the proper genetic make-up required to operate it. Chris is trapped between this time and other moments in time. I am concerned he will not survive his encounter with the machine. His being infected with the Regenerative virus may not be enough to prolong his life long enough for him to find his way back. The passing through time so often will cause eventual death if it continues at a consistent rate. It may kill him because it could be ripping apart genes or simply burning them up every time he travels across the timeline. Even if he does manage to survive and get back here for good, there may very well be lasting effects."

"But you don't know that for sure right?" Claire piped up. "I mean, where are you getting your information anyway?"

"I am receiving input from the machine. The genetic material I was created with gives me access to everything the Obliterator has to offer. I do not wish to use such a machine. You have nothing to fear from me, Claire Redfield. If I could help your brother, I would."

Eva put up a hand as a signal to tell the female creation to stop right at that point. "So you're saying there's nothing we can do to help Chris?"

"Correct. He must find his own way to remain in his proper time or he shall perish as the others before him did."

She was less than enthusiastic by the bleak outlook this situation had. Chris was in trouble and she could do nothing to help him. All she could do was wait. There was no way she could just stand there and do nothing while Chris fought for his life. The gentle clinking noise of glass against glass drew her attention to her left palm. In her hand she'd forgotten the two syringes and bottle gripped tight that Darius Greene had left behind.

The bottle contained a deep blue, practically black liquid and she couldn't take her eyes away from it. If Greene was being truthful of the purpose behind the substance contained in the bottle, she was holding a cure to the curse that had become her life ever since she learned she would never age again. With this antidote she could be normal and she could age. To be normal, that was a thing she wanted more than anything in the world. Well, there was one thing, or rather, one someone whom she wanted more than anything that existed, but she couldn't have him the way she was. How could she expect him to see her as anything but a teenager with a crush unless she was able to grow and mature and become a real woman?

She took one of the syringes and placed the needled point in the hole at the top of the bottle, filling it full of the dark liquid. This cure could free her of her curse. This could give her the life she had always hoped to have one day.

"Eva, what is that?"

Claire had noticed what she was doing with the possible antidote to her virus.

"It's a cure. A cure for the virus that infects my body."

"You don't know what could really be in there." Leon pointed out, taking a few steps in her direction. "That could be some kind of poison or worse. This is Umbrella we're talking about here. We all know what they're capable of."

Eva gave him a humorless smile. He wouldn't be stopping her. No one would.

"Yeah," she told him. "And I know what I'm capable of when the R-Virus continues to run through my veins. I also know what I'm not capable of and I think you would feel the same way I do if you ceased aging too. Think about it. No aging means the people you love die while you would just remain the same. They age, you don't. That's no way to live when you're a kid like me, wouldn't you agree?... Leon, right?"

She placed the bottle and spare syringe down on the floor, leaving her with the syringe filled up with the blue fluid.

Leon nodded his head once then took another couple of steps closer. "It wouldn't be an ideal position to be in but that's no excuse for putting needles in your arm when you don't know what you're putting into your body. Come on, Eva, think about it."

This made her laugh and her bright green eyes flashed with delight at his words. "Actually, it's the perfect excuse."

She flexed her arm a couple of times, searching for a vein, and then allowed the needle to pierce her skin without further comment.

"Eva, no!" Claire yelled.

The injection of the liquid complete, Eva let the now empty syringe fall to the floor. Then she waited. One minute, two, and yet nothing happened and she didn't feel any different. Disappoint began to flood through her. Had Greene been lying and it had only been some kind of placebo which produced no change or effect? There wasn't much more time to feel her disappointment because gunfire exploded in the room as an Umbrella soldier appeared at the entrance, firing his weapon in their direction upon sight of them.

Eva watched Leon grab Claire and move her behind some cover in the form of the only thing inside of the large room. The machine. Ada followed them. She and Melody wouldn't be able to reach cover there safely. It was too far. Eva felt a hand lock onto her shoulder and she shifted in Melody's direction to find her motioning to the bodies of the USFU soldiers her dad had killed not too long ago. The corpses would provide at least some cover if they stacked the bodies on top of each other. They did the grim task together quickly. The whole time Eva tried not to think about what she was touching and moving. Once they managed to pile three bodies on top of one another, they laid themselves flat on their stomachs to hide.

She wanted to fight back but from their position it would mean probable death. The bodies provided a good hiding place but that was about it. At the moment, the soldier's attention was on the three hiding behind the Obliterator. Eva watched from the side of the piled up corpses as four more soldiers appeared and followed the first soldier further into the room. All of them were firing their automatic assault weapons at a consistent rate. The continual flow of bullets had to run out eventually. Maybe then she could make some sort of move. But what? It wasn't like she would be able to take out all five of them in one attack. Especially when she didn't know their exact positions and there was also the small problem that once she exposed herself, her position, she wouldn't be able to take cover behind the stacked bodies again.

Shots rang out from the area of the room opposite of the entrance. Leon had flattened himself against the side of the machine, nearest to Eva and Melody, and was firing at the USFU soldiers. One of them went down with a yelp and the others responded by fanning out. Eva watched as Ada took up an offensive as well, her own gun barking as she took shots at the men trying to kill them. Claire was crouched down behind Leon, with her arms raised by her head as though she were about to cover her ears, wincing as the gunfire went on around her. Another soldier dropped, followed soon after by a second, making it a grand total of three Umbrella soldiers eliminated. That left two remaining assailants. Eva smiled. Perfect.

She jumped up, breaking into a run towards the two men who were being kept occupied by Ada and Leon for the time being. Eva took advantage of the distraction and since she was small, her steps were rather light. No one heard her approach. She was sure with all of the gunfire being exchanged, it helped a bit too. She rammed into the first one with a move she had witnessed her father use several times. Elbow up, arm locked tight so as not to injure herself, she slammed into the closest man to her, pushing against him with all of her weight. The man released a grunt of pain and stumbled sideways. She finished taking him out with a roundhouse kick that dropped him to the floor. The last soldier spun around with his rifle poised to take her out as he turned. Eva used the heel of her hand to knock the muzzle of the weapon upwards and away from herself, causing the gun to fire at the ceiling. She jabbed her booted foot into the USFU agent's shin, kneed him in the stomach, and then was able to rip the rifle out of the man's hands. Slamming the stock of the rifle against his face put him out like a light.

Eva dropped the soldier's weapon and turned around to face Leon, Claire, and Ada over by the machine. Leon had come out already, as had Ada, and the former was currently motioning to Claire that it was okay to come out of hiding. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at the three of them.

"See, that's how you fight!" she exclaimed cheerfully to them and then added, "I didn't even have to draw my weapon."

She waved a hand in the general area where her handgun was holstered on the belt she wore, still smiling. Though Ada was smiling a little, the other two did not appear to be so amused.

"You engaged two armed men in hand-to-hand combat when you had a long distance weapon at your disposal?" Leon questioned critically, an unhappy look on his face.

"Girl has to have her fun," was the only reply Eva gave him.

Ada, Claire, and Leon walked over towards Eva, holstering their weapons, and Ada patted her on the back gently. Leaning closer so the conversation would be kept between the two of them, she whispered to her conspiratorially.

"Nice moves, Eva. You're a natural. You would make a great agent."

Claire overheard and the three women shared a brief smile of survival which Leon failed to notice. His eyes were on Melody who was wandering away from the bodies she had been hiding behind moments earlier. Now she was by the exit again, her eyes staring up at the ceiling above.

"The structures humans build continue to fascinate me. Such a strange thing to see when one looks up. I don't really care for it much. No, I would much rather look up and see the stars over a metal construct."

She squinted harder at the other woman. The pale complexioned product of Umbrella Corporation was acting like she had the first time Eva had seen her on the street. She wondered if it had to do with her proximity to the Obliterator. Was it possible the machine had the power to affect her behavior? Hopefully that wasn't the case, but if it was having some sort of control over Melody, it better not cause her to become a danger to any one of them. The young girl rapidly learned that the danger was not with Melody.

A man slipped out of the shadows, stepping into clear view under the bright lights from the ceiling. He was wearing a red t-shirt, dark blue jeans, had short brown hair slightly spiky, and nearly matching brown eyes to his hair color. There was a police badge attached to a chain hanging around his neck, and what looked to be a 9mm handgun in his hand. A gun which he quickly brought up at the same time he lurched forward, locking an arm around Melody and dragging the singer back until she was held against him. He promptly put the gun to her skull and the other hand made a fist and moved to her throat.

Eva saw he had a needled syringe in his hand and had injected something into his captive's neck. When Melody slumped forward, eyes slipping closed, the girl feared the worst. The stranger must have read the concern in her gaze because he gave a false, reassuring smile as he pocketed the syringe and got a better grip on the now limp Umbrella creation in his hold.

"Relax. It's only an extremely powerful sedative. Since it is impossible to predict how effectively a sedative will work on something like her, I really don't have time to waste."

He waved his gun in the air and then placed the muzzle back against the side of Melody's head.

"Weapons on the floor."

When none of them made any movement to follow his command, he cocked the weapon, signifying he could put a bullet in her head immediately if they didn't comply.

"Pretty please," he added, his tone betraying the lack of sincerity behind the words.

They had no choice if they wanted Melody to live. Eva was the first to take her gun out slowly, removing the clip and the chambered bullet before lowering it to the floor. Leon and Ada followed Eva's lead, doing the same with their own weapons while Claire had no weapon to give up. The stranger had them kick the weapons away from themselves, back towards the machine, and then had them turn to face him once more with their hands up in plain sight.

Eva looked more closely at the man and then at the badge around his neck. She knew this man. This man was one of the police detectives who had come looking for Melody at their apartment that one day not too long ago. Detective Riesling was his name. But what was he doing here? How had he even found the place?

"I'm going to be taking Melody out of here now and none of you are going to-" he broke off abruptly and jerked his head to look over his shoulder to the left, in the direction of the entrance.

He must have heard something because he moved away from the doorway as quick as he could move while toting an unconscious person along with him. The man got maybe a few yards when Wesker and Krauser came walking into the room. Eva looked from her father and Krauser, to the man holding Melody as his hostage. This wasn't likely to be good for the man.

The two superhuman beings likely figured out all on their own that something was amiss by the four people standing in the middle of the room with their hands in the air. But Eva figured it couldn't hurt to nudge them into immediately looking in the direction of the reason for their situation, by cuing them in on Detective Riesling's location. Wesker and Krauser shifted towards the man's direction and that was as far as they got when the machine began flashing a bluish white light on and off from the center console they had witnessed Chris operating earlier, right before he had vanished. Ada, Leon, Claire, and Eva all turned fully around to stare at the Obliterator now acting so alive, if a machine could ever be considered that way. For the moment, the man holding Melody was forgotten as the girl's attention became fixed on the Umbrella manufactured machine and the brown-haired man who suddenly appeared in front of it.

"Chris!" Claire shouted, initial shock giving way to pure joy. "Chris!"

Chris was indeed standing in front of the machine looking a little worse for wear, to say the very least about the disheveled and somewhat bloody look he'd taken on since they had last seen him.

"Are you alright?" Eva demanded, in a way that she knew came out sounding worried and a bit frightened as well.

The former BSAA agent just stood there, staring numbly in front of him. Gradually he seemed to be coming back to himself though, because after another few painstakingly slow moments, he blinked a couple of times and spoke.

"Eva? Yeah, I..I'm fine."

"Really? Cause you look like you just went ten rounds with a hunter or something." Claire commented, frowning at her brother.

Eva could tell though, that Claire's frown was a sign of how concerned she was for the health of her older sibling. The worry was engraved deep.

Chris tried to wipe some of the blood from his face with the back of his arm as he appeared to become more and more aware of his surroundings.

"A hunter at one point, and a sweeper somewhere else along the way actually." Chris replied as if it was no big deal.

His concentration was waning again, Eva could tell. Leon must have been able to see it too because he began walking towards Chris and was close enough to step forward to catch the weakened man when his legs gave out.

"Sorry, Leon." Chris mumbled into his shirt. "Need to rest for a bit, that's all."

"Don't apologize, Chris. You've got nothing to be sorry for." Leon told him. "Glad to have you back with us."

Eva hurried over to Chris and when he saw her coming, she saw him gain his balance back, using Leon as a sort of object to push off from in order to stand upright. Leon didn't look like he was so sure Chris was ready to stand on his own just yet but he gave him room to breathe. She made it to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Claire reached the two of them about the same time and grinned broadly, showing how happy she was to see him there alive and okay. Eva could feel Chris squirming to free himself from her and without removing her head from against his chest she lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Stop twitching, you're going to get a good and proper hug from me for scaring me to death by disappearing like that, okay?"

"Okay, but-" Chris started.

"You'll live."

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts."

"Eva, there's-"

She pulled away from him and noticed there was a bit of his blood on her clothing and skin now.

Chris finished his sentence then. "Blood. There's blood. Now you're covered in it. Sorry..."

Eva laughed. "Stop apologizing to everyone, Chris. We're just glad to have you back."

It wasn't like she didn't already have drying blood of her own on her from the latest come back to life episode.

"Yeah, okay," was all Chris said.

Something he saw caused him to stiffen his stance and put a hand on the gun holstered to his right thigh. "Hey, who is that? Isn't that one of the detectives who was looking for Melody at the apartment? He had a female partner, right? What is he doing with Melody?"

Eva's eyes grew large. She had completely forgotten about Melody's predicament with the stranger, who had turned out not to be as much of a stranger as she'd thought when she recognized him. Guilt washed over her for letting Melody slip her mind but she quickly pushed it to the back of her thoughts so it wouldn't interfere with the thinking she needed to do. Her attention, along with everyone else's, returned to Detective Riesling, who was at the moment trying to slide closer to the exit with Melody in tow. He froze when all eyes went to him, however, and did a strange movement where he ran his tongue along both rows of his teeth. The action gave Eva the distinct impression that it was some sort of nervous tick or habit that he had.

Claire gasped out of nowhere. "Chris, that's the guy. That's the man who took me right off the street! Remember, I said the man who took me was licking his teeth. Just like that!"

Eva stared at the man and felt like the biggest failure in the world. When the two detectives had come to talk to Wesker at the apartment that day, the very same night they'd discovered a listening device planted in the apartment. Umbrella operatives had also launched a full scale assault on the place that night too. She and the others had suspected the Umbrella agent to be the female cop, Detective Taylor, but it seemed they had been very, very wrong. It was the male detective who worked for Umbrella. Detective Riesling was the spy for the Umbrella Corporation and they had never seen it.

"You? You kidnapped my sister?!" Chris declared, becoming increasingly ready to spring into action if anything happened.

"You should have minded your own business, Redfield!" Riesling snarled at him. "You were supposed to back off when we made you think your sister was dead. You just couldn't though, huh? You just couldn't let it go."

"Fool." Wesker said to the detective as he began to walk towards him. "By making a move to eliminate his sibling, you only succeeded in driving him to come at you harder than before."

"Stop! Stop or I'll shoot her!" Riesling yelled out as her father continued to approach him and Melody.

She switched her gaze from the cop, who was also an agent for Umbrella, to Wesker, who wasn't stopping his steady pace towards the other man.

"Underestimating Chris, that was your first mistake." Wesker noted to the man.

Eva found that she was thinking about how much her father sounded like the way she talked sometimes. Or maybe she was the one who had developed tendencies to speak like him...

"Your second mistake," her dad informed him, continuing his advance, "Was coming here."

"Back-the-fuck-off, or I will kill her!"

Riesling was looking less and less stable and Eva feared for Melody as her dad showed no signs of listening to him. The male detective's finger began to squeeze against the trigger, gun still pressed firmly against the pale woman's head, and she felt her heartbeat speeding up. He was going to kill her.

"Dad, stop moving towards him. He's going to do it. Stop!" Eva cried.

She watched what happened next feeling completely useless, helpless. Chris ran forward to try and put a stop to Melody's fast approaching demise as Wesker was refusing to back down even with Riesling's threats. A gunshot rang out and silence permeated the air after the echo faded away, leaving nothing behind but the stench of death.


	33. Choice

Chapter 32

-Choice-

Getting shot in the head didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. As soon as his brain processed that it was only a minor laceration to the side of his skull where the bullet grazed him, Chris jumped to his feet. He didn't have the luxury of time right now to take it slow as the pounding pain in his head told him he probably should have. The former BSAA soldier was used to ignoring the aches and pains sustained during a typical mission and this occasion was no different.

Riesling was moving the gun back to Melody's head, finger pulling the trigger to shoot her this time, and he knew he wouldn't be able to reach her in time. Wesker was only a few feet away from Chris but still several yards from the homicide detective and the tyrant had come to a stop. The blonde man's gaze was shifting to the exit and he didn't even seem to be noticing that Melody was about to be killed. Or maybe he simply didn't care. Either way, Chris's mind was racing fast, trying to think of some manner in which to prevent Riesling from pulling the trigger.

He didn't get the opportunity to implement any more ill-advised plans such as only seconds ago when he thought charging a man holding a loaded gun was a smart move. A second gunshot rang out before Riesling could fire his weapon and the cop released Melody immediately, sliding to the floor. He landed on his back, and Chris, remembering he was also carrying a weapon of his own, hurried forward. Kicking the weapon away from the male detective's hand, he kept his gun trained on the guy. Riesling made no attempt to rise again and he laid there staring up at Chris with surprise in his eyes. Blood began to spill past his lips and unnatural noises from his throat came out as he choked on the blood. The former BSAA agent ascertained the man had been shot in at least one of his vital organs judging by the rapid deterioration of his health.

The shooter came all the way through the doorway and Chris met her gaze, knowing how difficult it must have been for her to take the shot. Detective Katherine Taylor lowered her weapon and moved over to kneel by her partner's side. Chris looked on as she took hold of Riesling's hand. After putting her gun away with the other hand, she ran it soothingly along the side of his face. He felt like he was invading a very private moment and so he took a couple of steps back. Even then, he could still hear her as she began to speak to the other. Detective Taylor probably intended for her words to be quiet but the raw emotion that came attached to every word she uttered seemed to raise the volume of it to a much louder degree.

"You work for this Umbrella Corporation... Why? Why didn't you tell me, Scott? I'm your partner. Why did you do this?"

The only response Riesling was able to give her was a horrible choking sound as he continued to struggle to breathe through the rapidly gathering amount of blood in his throat and mouth. Astonishingly, despite the enormous suffering he was obviously going through as he lay dying on the hard floor, he managed to choke out something he must have badly needed to say to his partner.

"Remem-Remember th-th-this, Kate. You-you can't-always-trust-what people say... Remember ff-for me, okay? Kate?"

Riesling had barely finished getting out her name for the second time when he suddenly went still, the life fading visibly from his eyes as he let out a final breath before going limp. An audible sob escaped from Detective Taylor's throat, tears rolling freely from her eyes.

"Damn it..." she murmured, her voice trembling.

A soft gasp sounded from Eva, causing Chris to glance over his shoulder at the young blonde standing over with Claire and Leon now. The three of them were nearest to the machine and nearest to the individual gradually flickering into a solid presence in front of the Obliterator. He looked back at Detective Taylor to find she had stifled her sobs to see what was causing everyone's attention to be diverted to the machine. The machine which was at the moment, lighting up. When he saw who was appearing before the machine, he knew he was the only one who would recognize her. It was the woman he was married to in the future if he were to take the cure Darius Greene had offered. At least that was how he assumed he had gotten rid of the virus in order to have the future he had seen with the woman standing before the Obliterator, looking very lost. When she saw Chris, her eyes got wide and she looked frightened.

"Chris, what's going on? You disappeared and then so did I! Where am I?" Amy Cross asked him.

She flickered in and out of existence for a second and when she returned, she remained translucent. Her long blondish brown hair appearing to be an almost clear color now. Chris could tell she wouldn't stay in his time for much longer and was already fading fast, returning to her own time. The machine must have somehow accidentally brought her through time with him and was now rectifying its own mistake. It sounded strange thinking that because it made it seem like the Obliterator had some sort of creepy intelligence. But it couldn't, right? It was only a machine.

"Amy. I..I don't know how you got here," he admitted to her.

He didn't know how to react at her presence there. Especially since when Amy had appeared in the room, the same wave of emotions swept over him that he'd felt the first time meeting her after time-traveling to his future home.

Feelings of being safe and secure, of being happy and content married to a woman that he cared deeply for, and holding love for the two children he had fathered with her. Those feelings filled him completely now. For a moment, all he wanted to do was stand there and soak the warm feelings up forever. Reality struck him hard in only a few seconds though, and glancing behind him at Detective Taylor staring numbly at the scene unfolding before her with Amy and himself, told Chris the decision he was going to have to make.

"You need to forget me," he told her. "I've decided not to take the cure which would allow me to become a regular human being again."

"Wh-what?"

Amy didn't understand what he was saying. Of course she didn't understand. Why should she? With her, Chris lived a normal life. The life he'd always wanted. She had never been exposed to the pain and misery he experienced over and over. She had never been exposed to the danger that was his entire existence and the only way to make sure she never would be was to say goodbye here and now. If he took the cure Greene had offered to Chris, then he might not be able to hold out for much longer. He would be vulnerable to death and it was only just dawning on him, how much he could do with the gift of immortality. Countless lives could be saved if he remained infected with the virus and so he was going to do what he felt was the right thing.

The reality Chris had to face was that he could never have a future with Amy Cross.

"You need to forget me so you can be safe. So you can be happy," he told the blue-eyed woman.

The confusion was evident on her face as she stared back at him.

"I can't explain it. It's just the way it has to be." Chris attempted to explain to her. "Even though I've never really met you yet, I remember the great moments we will have together in the future as if they already happened to me. And even though I know in my head that they haven't happened, not yet anyway, my heart tells me that I do love you. That you are the one I can spend the rest of my life with. A life where I wouldn't have to worry about fighting any more. Where I can settle down and have our two kids and live the good ol' American dream."

"But...?" Amy trailed off, seemingly aware she wasn't going to like anything he said to her after that whole speech following a statement of how he couldn't be with her.

"But even though that's the life I want more than anything, it isn't mine to have. I once told a good friend, people like me aren't meant to have happy endings. And that may be true, but even so, I'm going to try and keep fighting while trying to be happy with the ones who are with me now. It's something I have to do or I'll never forgive myself for stopping the fight in order to have what I want."

"Fight..? I..." she began but let herself trail off.

Chris could tell she was thinking over what he had been saying and could read it in her eyes that it slowly but surely was occurring to her, what he was saying meant that he was making a choice. A choice that would keep them from ever meeting one another and from ever having a life together as a family. As she thought, her entire lower half had disappeared and the upper half was growing lighter and clearer. Amy didn't seem to be paying any attention about her condition and it showed that her thoughts were only on him when she spoke.

"I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to. Please, don't do this. Use the cure you mentioned. Stay the course so we will meet sometime in the near future and have a life together."

"I wish I could. But if I do that then who will fight against the people using viruses and bio-weapons for their own selfish gain? There's no one as determined as I am to see this mission through. Find a man who can make you happy and keep you safe."

Amy was just about gone now and she continued to stare at him with a hauntingly painful look of betrayal that Chris knew he would never be able to forget.

"I had one..." were Amy's last words in response to Chris's final comment to her.

"Goodbye." Chris whispered, but she was already gone, back to her own time.

He wondered what would happen to her once he left the facility without taking the cure. Doing so would alter the future he was supposed to have, wouldn't it? Where would Amy Cross end up instead? Chris never even heard Eva approach. It was only when a hand came to rest against his back that he turned to find her standing beside him.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he answered automatically, and then realized it was painfully obvious he was lying when a single tear trickled down his cheek.

He wiped it away and when Eva continued to look at him with something akin to sympathy, he felt anger flare through him. He didn't even know why he was angry at her. She was only showing that she cared about him. Chris managed to keep himself from reacting in any way and chose to turn back to where Detective Taylor was holding her dead partner in her arms to avoid Eva's penetrating stare.

"You don't have to sacrifice your own happiness for others, Chris. There's always a choice."

The former BSAA's response was instinctive. He just knew what he felt and knew it was right. "Not always."

Chris shifted back in her direction without really looking at her. It made ignoring the wounded look in Eva's eyes a whole lot easier. There was a brief moment of awkward silence and so he was relieved when Detective Taylor asked him something.

"Do you ever get tired of it?"

He turned around fully to face the female detective and felt Eva's hand slip away from him.

"Of what?" he asked.

"The heartache..."

He blinked twice, slowly, then gave her an answer. "You know what? I really do."

After what felt like a very long moment, she gently kissed Riesling's forehead and moved his body back to the floor. Standing up, she continued to meet Chris's gaze. Somehow, even though they barely knew each other, they had made a connection. Chris could see and feel it. They were both experiencing loss and it was painful.

"I followed your friends and spotted my partner walking into this place not too long after them," the detective informed Chris as well as the others in the room, apparently feeling the need to explain her sudden appearance there.

He followed her gesture over to Leon and Claire when she mentioned following some of his friends to the Umbrella facility. Leon's expression was blank while Claire seemed embarrassed that they had been followed without realizing it.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Detective Taylor." Wesker said to her. "You were doing your job."

"Please, it's Katherine," her eyes never left Chris's as she told Wesker this.

An all too familiar and persistent wailing sound began to echo throughout the room. Chris was not at all surprised when a computerized female voice came on over unseen speakers somewhere in the giant room.

"The self-destruct system has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated."

The voice clicked off of the intercom system and Chris took in his surroundings for the first time in a while. The self-destruct system was good. Their plan had always been to activate the system in order to destroy the facility and the Obliterator along with it, but none of them had left the room to do it as far as he knew. Did this mean Greene had managed to get to a location where he could do it? Somehow he didn't think that was right. Even though Greene had wanted to take over the Umbrella Corporation, HUNK and his team of soldiers had effectively put this facility out of commission, and Greene probably hadn't even had the time to acquire access codes to anything yet. Chris could feel it in him that they had succeeded in dismantling the evil corporation for good this time. Even if Greene was running around out there somewhere; he was alone now.

With all of this knowledge running through his mind, he looked around the room and made sure he had his team accounted for out of habit. As a soldier, when you worked with a team, you kept track of the other members and never left a man behind. The cop, Katherine, was there, along with Eva on his left, and Wesker not too far away on his right. Krauser was just a few steps from Wesker, Claire and Leon were perhaps a few yards from Krauser and near the machine. His gaze flickered over to the wall Melody had been unconscious by, behind Katherine. Melody's sedated form wasn't there.

Chris jogged over to the spot and glanced around. "Where did she go? Melody! Wait a minute... Where's Ada? She's gone too."

He knew Leon had had some interaction with Ada Wong and so he looked across the room to Leon for some kind of answer. He didn't know what he was looking for as Leon appeared at a loss for an answer as well. Though he noticed Leon's gaze did harden as he stared at the space Melody had once been lying in.

"Ada..." Leon uttered through gritted teeth. "She was working for someone else the entire time..."

He saw his sister watching Leon becoming increasingly frustrated. It didn't take much for Chris to assess the situation. Ada had been helping him and the others take down Umbrella earnestly, but had a hidden agenda of her own the whole time. Now Melody was gone, likely taken by the secretive woman to her employers. Who her employers might be? He had no idea. He'd heard from Leon that her loyalties changed too often to even bother using the term loyalty and Ada in the same sentence. The look his sister was giving the government agent at the moment bordered on jealousy and that had him wondering about other things as well.

He didn't have much time to think about that though because his sister's expression was morphing into one of horror.

"Chris, look out!" Claire yelled.

Time seemed to slow down as he spun around. As he turned, he saw that Eva had been walking over to her father and had paused mid-step when Claire called out the warning to Chris, while Wesker was in the process of ramming himself into his daughter to shove her to the floor. He didn't continue turning when he saw this, but instead dropped to a low crouch on one knee. A large object passed so close over his head that the whoosh of air, caused by the speed the item was moving, swept across his hair. Jerking his head upright, he saw a square metal electric box smash into the far wall and then to the floor, electricity exploding from it upon impact with the ground.

He stood and pivoted, gun out, to find a very naked man standing merely a foot away, his face only inches from Chris's own. The man was drenched in water or some other sort of liquid, and ice blue eyes stared into the former agent's face.

"Christopher."

Whoa, what? Chris thought to himself. He was staring at the guy the entire time and the man's lips had never moved.

Was it some sort of telepathic ability that allowed the soaking wet man to say his name without physically speaking out loud? His mind made a new connection as he took in the man's appearance for a second time. His head was shaved but the distinguishing blue eyes told Chris immediately that this was a clone. The wet state the man was in could mean he had recently vacated a stasis tube.

"Thank you, Christopher. You have been most helpful. Because of you, the machine released me from my slumber, and now, now the world shall bear witness to my rage. Billions will die screaming in the dark of the night, for all sinners must die."

It dawned on him then. He knew who the man was. It was Skye. Skye Greene, the original subject used to clone others such as Sin and Melody. This was Darius's younger brother, and right now he was telling Chris what he planned to use the machine for. He couldn't help but notice the irony in that. Umbrella had wanted to use Skye or his genes, to activate the machine and use it for whatever purposes they desired without having it go out of control to cause the destruction of the world. Now the one person that had the ability to combine with the machine and use it in a controlled manner was able to do so, but desired total destruction of the world.

Bravo, Umbrella, another check in the column of accidentally creating a homicidal maniac hell-bent on causing suffering and death to others.

He realized the others couldn't hear what Skye was saying to him since he was speaking directly inside Chris's head somehow. So he verbalized what was said to him in his own way.

"I'm sorry for what they did to you. Really, I am. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stand here and let you use the Obliterator to kill billions of innocent people, Skye."

"Innocent?!" the voice sounded like a harsh hissing inside his head. "They are sinful and flawed creations. They must be eliminated. I will eliminate them all."

Chris went for his gun and Skye simply pressed his palm against Chris's chest. It felt like what he imagined it would feel like to be hit by a speeding semi. He became aware he was flying across the room. His back slammed into the electric box and agony spread across his entire body as electricity shocked through him. The pain was the last thing he was aware of, engulfing his entirety, and then there was nothing.


	34. Zero Hour

Chapter 33

-Zero Hour-

When she heard Chris call the nude man Skye, Eva was shocked and overcome with pity for the poor man. Skye Greene's family was massacred and he'd been taken away to be experimented on when he was only a little boy. His body had been damaged so badly by the experiments that his brain had been fried beyond repair, putting him into a vegetative state. At least, that was what she had thought. What everyone had thought. Apparently Umbrella hadn't realized that their source of special genes for their experiments had developed awareness while being kept in his test tube. Now Skye had gotten free from the constraints of the tank they'd been keeping him in. The tank she remembered seeing him kept in, eyes closed, from the photos recovered.

When she witnessed the man send Chris across the room and watched the former BSAA agent jerk and shudder as volts of electricity passed through him, she drew her handgun. Her pity immediately switched to anger. Eva had done what Umbrella had. She had underestimated Skye Greene. After first seeing Skye she should have put two and two together. Why would Skye wait so long to free himself from the tank he was kept in? Maybe he was gathering his strength all that time. Maybe the machine released him somehow. The reason he was here was what mattered the most. The pale man had clearly made use of the destruction of the facility to escape from the tube and come to this room. If he had only wanted to escape, he would have tried to find a way out of the building. Instead, Skye came to the room housing the Obliterator. There could only be one answer as to why he had done so. He wanted to use the machine. She seriously doubted any good could come of that.

The naked, pale-fleshed male had turned his attention away from Chris now that the soldier was out of commission. His focus shifted to the machine and he began a slow but sure pace towards the bio-weapon. Eva was torn between what to do. Because she was concerned. Chris had yet to get back up. Scratch that, she'd be lying if she tried to pretend there was any real choice to make here.

"Chris!" she called out, knowing full well he couldn't hear or respond to her.

When she tried to make her way across the room to get to him, her father signaled for her to stop and began to move forward himself, kneeling by Chris's side. As he leaned forward to check for a pulse, he lifted his gaze back on her and then looked to Skye. Eva knew what he was telling her to do. Wesker wanted her to focus. He wanted her to understand what needed to come first, stopping Skye Greene. If they didn't manage to prevent the man, whose entire life had been stolen away, from activating the Obliterator, it wouldn't matter whether Chris was okay or not. They would all be dead.

"No pulse. No sign of regeneration. Green specks remain in the eyes, give it thirty more seconds Krauser."

Eva couldn't help but look over at Chris's motionless form her father was kneeling beside when she heard him talking to Krauser, who had made his way over to them. What did he mean? Wait thirty seconds and then what? What was going on? Why wasn't Chris coming back to life like he always did because of the virus that ran through his body? There wasn't much time to take in that Krauser had begun administering CPR on the former BSAA agent because suddenly things were happening and they were happening fast.

Leon tossed Claire a gun and the two moved into firing positions as they squared off against Skye. The man was completely expressionless and gave no indication he had noticed the two moving into place to stop his progression to the Obliterator. When Leon took a shot at him, only then did the forcibly turned monster most definitely take notice of the two. Eva couldn't help feeling pity for the man in his mid-twenties or so, even with the situation they were finding themselves in. After all, who wouldn't be driven insane slumbering in a cryogenic tank for years on end? It was hard to blame the guy. The pity was short lived when it became immediately clear Skye would be giving no quarter to anyone. Having never been given the chance to grow from child to adult seemed to have turned him into a sociopath.

He threw himself across the room, no remorse, no mercy, as he barreled into Leon. Skye ripped the gun hand to the side, tightening another hand over the government agent's throat. Claire opened fire on the attacker, brow creased in worry and concentration. Eva blocked all other thoughts from her mind. There was only Skye and herself, and the machine he was willing to kill her friends to get to.

She raced forward to attack the one hurting Leon. The agent had managed to pull himself out of the bright blue-eyed assailant's grip on his throat and was working on disengaging the grasp on his arm. One of Claire's bullets scraped across Skye's arm, causing the man to slam a hand down in a karate chop motion against the side of Leon's throat. Leon dropped, Claire yelled indignantly, and Eva landed a booted foot to her opponent's side.

"Don't you dare hurt my friends!"

Skye regained his balance from her kick and stared blankly. Then he tried to grab her, threat evident by the hostile gleam in his eyes. She responded by dropping down on one knee to avoid the assault, then pushed off the floor, propelling herself and her right fist into his chin. He staggered, found his footing quickly, and hit her right back in the face. A noise left her throat as she was dropped flat on her rear end from the unexpected power behind the blow. She didn't waste any time sitting to recuperate, rolling herself out of the way as Skye tried to hit her with both hands clenched into fists.

Safely out of his reach for the time being, Eva squared off against him, going on the defensive. He wasn't having any of it though and turned away from her, walking in the direction of the machine as if she wasn't even there. She didn't appreciate being ignored.

"Eva get out of the way!"

She glowered at Claire for a moment before realizing the red-head was warning her to move so she could get a clear shot on the sociopath getting dangerously close to the machine. Eva ducked and Claire fired. A single bullet pierced through the heart of Skye Greene. His face never registered the gunshot or the fatality of the hit. What he did somehow manage to do, was wheel around and lock eyes with the closest one to him, which just so happened to be Eva herself. Blood oozed from the round hole in his chest and bright blue eyes stared expressionlessly at her. Such bright eyes, such empty eyes despite the glow.

"You and I, not so different."

Eva gaped at him in utter shock. "You can talk?!"

"The monsters crept into our homes and took away our innocence. But you're fixed, you're not made wrong any longer. And now," Skye lowered his gaze to the mortal wound he'd been given, then back at her. "Now, I've been fixed too."

With those words said, the pale man, whom the very much evil Dante had been spawned from, and the particularly odd but well-intentioned Melody had come from too, fell. He'd died sudden. Already dead even before his body crumpled to the floor. Eva let Claire and Leon move in to ensure Skye was completely dead. Her attention was already going to the place Chris had been lying in. She was relieved to see he was sitting up. Wesker was saying something to him and from where she was standing, she would have to say the brunette appeared a tad shell-shocked about whatever was being said to him. Then the black-clad man was offering his hand to help him up and it was like a test between them.

After a momentary pause, Chris accepted the extended hand and once standing, he acknowledged Krauser with the slight tilt of his head. Had the CPR she had seen Krauser using been what brought him back from the dead? If that were so, what did it mean? Could the Obliterator have done something to the mid-30's man who dedicated his entire being to protecting others? Could she be any more sentimental?

She forced herself to shut out thoughts of Chris. Skye might have been dead for real and certain but the machine was still there and very much a dilemma. The thing was lit up from Chris's activation of it earlier and seemed to have regained new life from Skye's brief but close proximity to it. The Obliterator was beginning to emit a bizarre whirring sound, lights flashing. Nothing was actually piloting the damn thing though so it couldn't do any damage, right? It wouldn't be able to hurt anyone? Eva knew none of them could take that chance. The machine needed to be destroyed. They couldn't leave it here for Umbrella to try and reclaim. If they could get rid of the machine then the corporation would be finished. They had lost too many facilities to recover again this time. So now she just had to figure out how to destroy the thing.

Movement flashed into her field of vision from the doorway. More Umbrella operatives with guns. Didn't these guys get that it was over? Umbrella was finished, Eva and the others had made sure of it. There were about five of them and though they were all fully armed and geared up, they were stalling in the doorway, seemingly attempting to stay out of sight from her and the rest of them in the room. She wondered if they were afraid of a confrontation seeing as how the other operatives who were sent had been taken down with relative ease. The perks of having a superhuman father she supposed, a small smirk growing on her face.

She noticed Claire was looking at her. She glanced her way and lessened the smirk, making herself have a more serious demeanor.

"There are men at the door." Eva informed the younger Redfield, though she made sure to speak loud enough for everyone to hear.

Wesker and Krauser hardly reacted; they must have known already. Chris, Leon, and Claire shared almost identical expressions of surprise and concern. Eva placed a hand over her holstered sidearm to display caution despite her next words saying otherwise.

"I don't think they're going to try anything. I think we've scared them into keeping their distance."

Chris was the one to respond to her comment. "Maybe but stay on your guard. There has to be a reason they're hanging around."

Leon moved up to stand beside Eva, his gaze on the former BSAA agent. "They could be trying to block the exit. Keeping us here."

"But why?" Claire asked.

"Can't be anything good." Eva said, going over to join the others.

Claire on the other hand wandered back over to the machine, staring up at the monstrous metal contraption with piqued interest.

"It's kind of strange. This doesn't really look like much. The machine I mean. But with the right person in control of it, this thing could be used to destroy anything and everything. Why would anyone want to do that? It makes no sense."

Eva shrugged. "People are just bad sometimes. And some people are just the kind of bad where they don't care who they hurt or the reasons why."

Chris's sister didn't seem satisfied by Eva's response to her querying but the girl couldn't do anything about that. It was the truth. Sometimes there wasn't any good reason why someone got killed or hurt. Eva knew the fact better than most. She couldn't remember her mother at all because Umbrella had murdered her when she was only a baby. They'd taken away her mother and in a way, they had taken away her father on the very same night. Because when Wesker had lost his wife, he'd lost his mind. At least a little. Even she had to admit that Wesker's questionable sanity was something Chris was right about. Speaking of Chris... The aforementioned man was staring off to the side, at nothing from what Eva could see. But he looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Chris, what is it?" she asked him.

He didn't seem to hear her so she tried again. "Chris?"

He tore his eyes away from whatever had caught his gaze to look at her. "It's..nothing."

"I seriously doubt that."

Chris ignored what she said and so she walked right over to him. "Chris."

"Eva."

Her tone had been more of a "get real and tell the truth, I'm not stupid". His tone was more the innocent and casual kind. His tone changed when he looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time since everything had gone down.

"Your eyes! Eva, your eyes are blue again. There's not a speck of green in them! How?!"

She stared back at him, wondering if he was joking at first while at the same time knowing he wouldn't do that. The serum she'd injected herself with had worked after all. Whether this one would be permanent unlike the last time she had thought she was cured of the Regenerative virus, remained to be seen. Either way, she couldn't help but allow a large smile to break out across her face at Chris's exclamation.

"Maybe it worked then! I'm free of the virus. Chris, you can be too!"

His face darkened. "It's like I told Amy Cross, Eva. I can't do that. I'm happy it worked for you though. I hope it

remains working and you get the normal life you've always wanted."

He really did seem hopeful for her and it made her realize something. Something she needed to do. Maybe she'd known what she needed to do for a while now. Eva hadn't wanted to admit it though. She hadn't wanted to because it was going to be hard and it was going to be..well, really hard.

"I'd say it's about time we make our exit." Krauser said to them. "I'll go first. Let them try and stop me from getting through."

"A wise choice. This building is not long to be standing." Wesker said, reminding her that someone had already set the building to blow.

Krauser was about to say something in response when he was interrupted by a pre-recorded, automatic voice booming throughout the entire building in all likelihood, as it was a message they had heard plenty of times in the past.

"The self-destruct sequence has been activated. All personnel should evacuate immediately. All locks have been opened to expedite the evacuation process. I repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated." The woman's voice cut off abruptly and then continued. "Detonation in 60..59...58...57..."

Reactions immediately followed the announcement from the outside party.

"Why wasn't there prior warning?!" one of the men exclaimed to the others from out in the corridor.

"Let's get out of here!"

"Hurry!"

Wesker exchanged looks with Krauser and then Chris. Eva watched her father as he did this and then the man quite literally approached her, hoisted her up over one shoulder, and began to run. She fought against his grip and cursed at him to let her go. Yelled that she had two feet and could run on her own, but he acted like she wasn't even speaking. From where her head bobbed up and down as Wesker carried her at a very fast speed, she could make out three other pairs of feet running behind them. She was moving too fast to make out more than blurs of motion but she had to figure it was Chris, Leon, and Claire following after Wesker, herself, and Krauser.

The computerized woman's voice was nearly to the end of the countdown when the six of them burst through the front doors of the building at a dead run. They'd barely made it out when the facility exploded in a fury of flame and stone. Eva felt Wesker's grip on her loosen as the force of the blast sent everyone off kilter. She saw several people blown off their feet and past her and her dad, while Wesker and Krauser managed to stay steady enough to keep upright.

When Wesker finally set her back down on her feet, the first thing she did was punch him as hard as she could in the stomach. Being Wesker and especially strong and resistant to attacks, he didn't even react except to smile at her. Annoyed, she punched him again, lighter this time, but refused to give in and return his smile. She turned her attention to the man she always felt so much concern for.

Chris was helping his sister to her feet while Leon was brushing himself off. The three had gotten lucky and landed in a sizable amount of trash piled up on the curb across the street from the now decimated Umbrella building. As the building was in a pretty populated area, people were beginning to draw nearer in curiosity and fear, while sirens began to sound in the not too far distance. Eva didn't care about any of that. She took in Chris's battered up form from his time on this mission of insanity which had finally come to an end, and smiled at him.

"We've got to stop meeting this way. Me, angry with my father, and you, bloodied and bruised," she teased.

"Yeah, well, at least this time your father isn't the one who caused it."

He'd said it completely serious and it caused Eva pause. Then a smile cracked across his face and she pretended to glare at him.

"Very funny, Chris. Really, hilarious stuff."

Unlike him, she kept the smile on her face so he knew she was only kidding with him. They stayed that way for a long moment, just smiling at one another. It was Wesker who inserted himself in between them, facing Chris. She wondered what expression he was giving the former subordinate of his as he said three words.

"Time to go."

Chris didn't look in any shape to get moving again but he remained tough and took off running as Krauser started the move in the opposite direction of the sirens.

"I've got us a ride out of here. It's not far." Krauser yelled back to Eva and the others.

"Thank God for small favors."

Eva glanced over her shoulder at the speaker of the words, Claire, who was looking like she'd recently been sucking on a sour lemon. She watched Leon place a hand on Claire's shoulder, squeezing gently. Why hadn't Chris done that for her? Given her some comfort after all that had happened? She shook the bitter thought from her mind. That wasn't what was important right now. Right at this moment they needed to get out of sight before they were seen. Claire and Leon went after the others and Eva followed behind them. She noticed her dad lingering the longest and then he had caught up to her, keeping pace with how fast she was moving. Her father would have to learn she was capable of taking care of herself. And she hoped he would learn and accept it when the time came. One day, he would have to.


	35. The Ones that Almost Made It

Chapter 34

-The Ones that Almost Made It-

Jill Valentine had always been one to take care of herself. She'd been on her own for most of her life and that was the way she liked it. At least, that was the way she'd liked it until she joined the Raccoon City Police Department's special unit known as S.T.A.R.S. The S.T.A.R.S. unit handled the more difficult or bizarre cases and consisted of especially skilled individuals. More importantly, they worked as a team. The unit Jill had been a part of, alpha team, included a pilot and communications expert Brad Vickers, a firearms expert by the name of Barry Burton, a former air force pilot and marksman Chris Redfield, Joseph Frost, their maintenance supervisor, captain of the squad Albert Wesker, and of course, Jill herself, as a skilled lock-picker and decent shooter. Chris hadn't been so certain of his decision to join the team but when he met Jill and realized he wasn't alone in his indecision, he knew he had in fact made the right choice.

The events of the Trevor mansion in the forest outside Raccoon City basically sealed the prospect of him and Jill Valentine being partners from that day forward. They made great partners too. They'd always had each others' backs and saved one another from harm's way. Until one of them hadn't been able to save the other. That was the way it always seemed to go though. Nothing lasted forever and the only constant was change. Change was eternal. Nothing ever remained the same. Not exactly.

Right now, he had Jill. He knew it wasn't real and it wouldn't last. He knew she was dead, for months she'd been dead. In his dream though, he could hold onto her. At least for a little while longer until he would eventually wake. But Chris wasn't awake at the moment and Jill was with him. The two of them were each at their respective desks in the rather cramped room reserved for the S.T.A.R.S. members in the RPD building. It was strange, knowing he was dreaming for once. Often he didn't realize he was dreaming until he woke from sleep. There he was though, sitting at a desk that somehow still seemed familiar to him. Like he'd never left S.T.A.R.S. or Raccoon City behind over a decade ago.

Chris had always had a habit of running late to work and so it was no surprise he was catching up on paperwork. Brad and Barry were already gone for the night, no surprise there either. Barry finished his work early each shift so he could be home with his family as soon as possible, and Brad always got done with his work on time because Brad was an intelligent guy. It was too bad Brad was prone to panicking when under pressure or whenever he got especially scared. The other member of their team, Joseph Frost, remained slouched at his own desk. It looked as though he was spending the majority of his time eating donuts and paging through a magazine instead of actually getting any work done. Chris actually found himself rolling his eyes in Joseph's direction even when at the back of his mind he was well aware none of this was real.

When he went to go back to doing his paperwork he realized how absurd it was to be doing so. None of it mattered if it was merely a dream. He went on to pretend to work while instead he used the opportunity to stare at Jill as often as he could. His dreams including Jill were beginning to lessen as the days continued to go by. It had been months since her death, and weeks since he'd had a nice dream with Jill in it, and he wanted to enjoy every moment it lasted.

"Hey Chris, Jill, wanna grab a drink or something?"

Chris glanced up at Joseph and then at Jill as she responded to the inquiry. "Hell yes. If I do this paperwork any longer I'm going to scratch out my eyeballs!"

Joseph laughed at what she said and Chris forced a smile. He was realizing now that this wasn't just a dream. This was a memory of a time that had actually happened in the past. The former S.T.A.R.S. member couldn't see any harm in going along with everything so he made to agree with them. Too late, apparently, because suddenly he was standing outside of the squad room and there were plenty of officers moving about the room. There was sunlight peeking in through the windows and he was dressed in different clothing. It was the next day. As he stood there, he recalled what had happened the previous night with his co-workers.

The three of them had gone out together and gotten a little drunk. Chris recalled how the next day Joseph had sprang back like he'd never consumed copious amounts of alcohol the previous night. Chris could swear by it, however, the man had indeed done so. He and Jill on the other hand were a little worse for wear when they'd shown up the next morning. Both of them were late and both of them were nursing hangovers when they'd come to work. Jill had devoted herself to downing cups of coffee like she had liquor the night before, while Chris had shown up wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap to hide his face from as much light as possible. Which was what he was wearing now. He remembered he'd been later getting to work than Jill. So what he had to look forward to when he finally stumbled in? His boss coming down on him quicker than he could make it to his desk. Unfortunately he'd recalled that last part only after he entered the room inhabiting the S.T.A.R.S. members.

"Redfield!"

Despite being much older now and knowing he wasn't in S.T.A.R.S. any more, he still found himself flinching at his captain's firm tone. Or maybe it was the loud noise to his very sensitive ears during this time of being hung over. This dream was no fun but he wouldn't trade it for the world because it was something real and safe. Typically Chris had nightmares so he would take a mundane dream like this any day. However, seeing his former captain, Wesker, was not something he was looking forward to. He went anyway, dragging himself into the older man's office. He shot Jill the best smile he could muster through the piercing pain radiating throughout his skull before entering Wesker's office. He would do what he could to be in keeping with how things had happened in real life because maybe then he could stay with Jill a little longer.

It was a foolish thing to wish, he knew that. She was gone and he'd let go what could of been for some time now. Eva Wesker had been a big part of that. She'd shown him how to laugh and have some manner of fun every so often. That girl had been what made Chris realize there was a tomorrow and things really didn't change a whole lot, even when they did. People came and went, they lived and they died. He of all people should know that with the kind of missions he did and had done his entire life.

"You're late again Redfield."

What Chris wanted to do was hurtle over the desk and attack the man who he'd once respected and looked up to. What he wanted to do was kill his former captain before he went on to kill so many others. But he didn't do that because this wasn't real. What was real was that Albert Wesker would lead them into Raccoon Forest and to the mansion. He would lead Chris and his friends into a death trap of the living dead and other even more horrendous monsters. And what would happen is most of his friends would die while Chris himself would survive. Survive to fight another day. This dream was horribly vivid to the point where he could even remember the date. It was July 21, 1998. In a few days the worst nightmare of his life would begin and everything he'd once known would be gone forever.

Chris tried to recall what he might have said that day when he'd actually cared what Wesker thought of him and went with it.

"I'm sorry sir, won't happen again."

"Yes it will, Redfield. Don't you lie to me. You aren't any good at it."

Chris said nothing and Wesker made to stare at him through the lens' of the dark sunglasses he always wore.

"This is the third day this week you've been late. Give me one good reason I shouldn't suspend you."

"Because someone's got to stop the murderers who are out there from killing more innocent people."

Wesker arched an eyebrow at him. "And you think you're going to be the one to stop these murders, do you?"

He did get very serious then. He remembered perfectly what he had said to his captain at the time.

"Yes sir. I will find out who is behind the attacks and stop them. That's a promise."

Wesker's face betrayed nothing. There wasn't even a hint of the knowledge the man actually contained regarding what was going on around Raccoon City. The son of a bitch had mastered being expressionless and emotionless in appearance, even before he had changed himself into something else, something other than human. Chris hadn't realized he was glaring at the man on the other side of the desk until aforementioned man said something about it.

"Is something wrong, Chris?"

"Uh, what? No, no, everything's fine." Chris replied, promptly shaking himself back to awareness of the man seated in front of him.

"You're lying again, Chris. But then, you were always lying to yourself. Isn't that right..Chris?"

He stared at Wesker. "What?"

Suddenly he found himself pinned up against the opposite wall, Wesker's forearm pushing into his throat.

"I win. I will always win. All you ever do is lose the ones you care about so you will always lose."

Chris fought against his grip. "You-you-"

He couldn't get out anything more because Wesker's arm pushed down so hard that he could no longer breathe any longer, let alone speak. He should have known better. When it came to remembering Jill, he always remembered her death. When it came to remembering Wesker, it never ended well. Chris was beginning to tire of his dreaming and his dreams in general. He was tired of dreaming about the ones who had almost made it. The ones who died before they should have. And his former captain always managed to bring it all back to him. He fought against the strangling hold on him but suddenly he could see that Wesker's eyes were glowing red. The blonde was no longer only human which meant he had his super strength to use to crush his throat. Chris couldn't break free. He was going to die.

Chris woke with a start and possibly a yell. At first he stared ahead of himself, somehow out of breath and sweating pretty good too. When he finally managed to catch his breath and calm himself down, that was when he noticed he was being watched. Krauser was staring at him from over the sleeping forms of Leon, Claire, and Eva. He didn't know where Wesker was.

Even though he continued to stare at him, Krauser had the decency not to ask how he was when the answer was so abundantly obvious. Instead the man just blew out a puff of smoke from the cigarette held between two fingers and looked away. Chris laid himself back down and stared up at the night sky above him, clearing his mind of the dream he'd much rather forget than hold on to.

Everything hadn't quite gone according to plan. They hadn't been able to make it to Krauser's prepared transport out of the city, an airplane. The plane was a good six miles from the building they'd evacuated from and the attention the explosion had drawn to it had become overwhelming. It wasn't like they couldn't handle a few cops. But what must have been every able-bodied law enforcement agent in the city was out there scouring the city, in search of the instigators of the whole mess. Chris didn't much care for hurting good people just trying to do their jobs, even if it could be the only way to escape, and so he'd been relieved when Wesker suggested they hide out within the city for the night before deciding their next move. So hide is what they did, on the roof of a mall no less. Leon, Claire, Eva, Wesker, Krauser, and of course himself had come here. As for HUNK and his team, they were either laying low somewhere else or they'd managed to make it out before the barricades were put in place. Not that they mattered all that much to Chris. He didn't trust them. They'd been employees of the Umbrella Corporation for far too long for trust.

He didn't trust Wesker's disappearance much either. So much had happened since the events in Africa and yet he still couldn't bring himself to turn his back on the male tyrant for fear of a knife in the back. There was that bit of logic Chris would rather not linger on... The logic which told him Wesker wouldn't have any problem looking him in the eye as he killed him, and had no need to wait until Chris turned away before striking. Chris shook such terrible thoughts from his mind. He desperately needed to get the man out of his head for the preservation of his sanity.

"You have nightmares like that a lot?"

Chris ran a hand through hair that was a tad too short for such an action. A sign of his nerves perhaps. He was impressed Krauser had even bothered to ask him about his dreams. But honestly, he held no desire to discuss his sleeping habits with anyone, least of all a man he barely knew. The things he did know about Krauser he could list off on one hand. The man had worked for Wesker in the past, he always remained loyal to Wesker when he was working for him, and he was a soldier turned mercenary-for-hire who would probably do just about anything. As anyone could imagine, those things didn't exactly appear redeeming of the man. Chris knew after having such a nightmare he wasn't going to get much sleep that night so he decided on talking to the other, though he did change the subject.

"Do you believe time-travel is something that's actually possible?"

Krauser grunted and took another drag from his cigarette. He said nothing about the change in subject and instead chose to regard him with a neutral expression. "Isn't that kind of what was happening to you when that machine zapped you right up or whatever?"

He furrowed his brow, thinking deeply as he stared in the direction of his palms. "I don't know. Yeah, I guess that's what was happening to me. I was in the past and the future. It was..unbelievable."

"I'd say your injuries prove you did go someplace else. That didn't just happen by magic you know."

What he was saying made plenty of sense but Chris still held doubt. They were talking about time-travel of all things. Then again, a decade ago if anyone would have mentioned the possible existence of the living dead he would have laughed them out of the room. But zombies had become reality when an experiment of the Umbrella Corporation went horribly wrong and the former BSAA agent had seen them with his very own eyes.

"What do you really wanna ask, Chris?"

He started, his shift in posture betraying his astonishment at being read so easily. He really didn't do so good after recently waking from a nightmare it would seem.

"I don't know... I just..thought I saw something I guess..."

Krauser's gaze never faltered so Chris hesitantly told him what he was waiting to hear. "When I was time-traveling, I thought I saw this girl, a child. She didn't look like she belonged in that time either. She was just sort of..there. Like I was. Then back in the room with that machine, right before we high-tailed it outta there, I saw her again. Big blue-green eyes and long dark brown hair. I asked her if she was one of the children I would of had with Amy Cross had I taken the cure and become a normal human again. She didn't say anything. Just shook her head and smiled. Then she was gone, quick as she'd appeared. I don't know..maybe I was hallucinating from all the injuries or something."

"It's possible," admitted Krauser

"I wonder though, if this little girl slipped through time, like Amy did. I wonder if it's supposed to mean something to me."

"No point in dwelling on something you've got no control over."

"What?"

"There's no way you can know for sure what you saw was real. So don't bother thinking on it. It'll end up driving you crazy if you do."

"Speaking from experience there, Krauser?"

"All I'm saying is, there's no use in pondering on what ifs and could have beens. What happened happened. The past is the past and it should be left alone whenever you can help it."

He did suspect the other man was talking about himself at least a little, even if he didn't realize that was what he was doing. They looked at one another for a long moment. Chris was the first to break the stare. It was too intense for him because the longer he looked into the other man's eyes, the more he saw the insane shit Krauser had seen in his past. The former agent knew that look because he had the same one in his own eyes each and every day. It was the sort of gleam one got in their eye when they'd been in the presence of insanity on more than one occasion. So often that it became almost the norm, and sometimes it was when things became too normal by humanity's standards that they would be experiencing the most discomfort. It was probably why Krauser had remained a mercenary all these years and why Chris had thrown himself into mission after mission.

If you kept yourself busy you wouldn't have to face the reality that you're never going to be like you were before the terrible happened. Chris thought to himself. Ten years ago in that nightmare of a mansion, everything went to shit and now look at you, consorting with people like Wesker and Krauser.

He closed off those thoughts and turned his gaze upward instead of looking at Krauser, back to staring up at the night sky. A sky that was calm and bright and beautiful. A sky which he really didn't take the time to appreciate much any more. There were reasons for that of course. That was something else he'd prefer not to allow his thoughts to linger on either.

"Nothing ever stays the same," said Krauser, almost as if he was capable of reading Chris's mind.

"I don't disagree," Chris told him. "But it doesn't give you the right to do whatever you want. In case you didn't notice, America's a democracy, not the chaos you seem to be living in."

"Let me tell you about the U.S. government mister patriot over there. On a mission once, when I was a pretty young kid in the forces yet, there was this factory. We'd been told there'd been some sort of chemical accident that had spilled over into the town nearby. It got a lot of people sick and the sick were a danger to the others. That's what we were told. The unit I belonged to was covering the town area along with a second unit. My superiors ordered us to take everyone from their homes. Every man, woman, and child were gathered up into one big group, and then we were given the kill order."

Chris stared at him, utterly horrified by the tale being told to him. He knew without a doubt that Krauser was telling him the whole and complete truth.

"I couldn't do it but the others did it, no hesitation. They'd been given orders and they'd been trained to follow so that's what they did. They killed them all. The sick and even the ones who weren't sick. All of them dead."

"How could you work for a place like Umbrella then? After seeing something like that, how could you later go on and do the same to innocent people?!"

The guy didn't seem concerned by Chris's obvious outrage at him and he waited patiently for him to calm himself down. When he realized this was what the other was doing, Chris grit his teeth and forcibly restrained the anger he felt towards the other. Krauser had done far too many sins for him to ever be okay with. Then again, God knew Albert Wesker was no saint either, and look where Chris was now with his former captain. He smiled just a little at the bizarre notion that he currently spent most of his time in the presence of an evil man who he didn't doubt was much worse than Krauser ever could be.

Krauser must have taken the lightening of Chris's expression as the proper time to speak. "I'm trying to make you understand something, Chris."

The former agent breathed in and then breathed out slowly. He didn't want to hear what Krauser had to say but he might as well seeing as how he was sitting there with the man, no place else to go.

"I'm trying to make you understand that the government you put your faith in does some evil shit just like the people you try and take down. So I went where I could be of use. I went where they'd take me. Where I could make a difference. Surely you know what that's like?"

Chris was silent for a long time. He laid back as if he were going back to sleep but in reality he was wide awake, staring up at those damn stars. Those damn stars which gave false hopes and promises. There was no such thing as being able to wish upon a star. Wishes didn't come true. Nightmares though? Nightmares sure did come true. It must have been at least five minutes gone by before he responded to what Krauser had said.

"Yeah..yeah I know what that's like. I've known what that's like since my days in the Air Force. I didn't belong there and it didn't take me long to figure it out. I guess that was what it was like for you, but from the entire government instead."

"Yeah something like that. Tell me something, Chris. How's it feel to be working with Wesker again after all the shit that's happened between the two of you?"

"I don't know, Krauser. How's it feel working with Leon again?"

That got a low chuckle from the other man before he responded. "Strange. Like old times but at the same time, nothing like the old times."

Chris felt himself smiling slightly as he stared up at the dark sky above him. "Yeah..it doesn't feel so good. But then, with Wesker, I make a change faster than I've ever done alone. I'm moving people out of harm's way before they even know they're in its path, and that, well that does feel pretty damn good."

"I gotta say, that sounds pretty fucked up Chris Redfield."

They both laughed out loud and it felt nice to laugh like that. Laughs didn't come along very often in his line of work. Eva had somehow managed to change that though. She'd made him aware it was okay to have a laugh every now and then. In fact, that it was better to because then it could keep the sanity intact. He felt that feeling inside himself again.

The achy sort of tightness at the center of his chest and deep in his gut. A feeling which came only when he thought of the young blonde and now blue-eyed girl companion of his. When it hit him what precisely he was feeling, it shocked him more than anything ever had in his life and that was saying something immense. He shoved the deep feeling back where he didn't have to ponder on it any longer. He couldn't have those feelings. Eva was so young and even if he wasn't going to ever age again, it was still wrong.

If Chris was anything he was a good boy, and there was no way he would ever pursue such a relationship with Eva. She was Wesker's daughter and that was why it would be a doubly bad idea. Look where befriending Eva Jane Wesker had gotten him as well. He was having some manner of a personal discussion with Jack Krauser, was working with the man who had plenty in common with Wesker, and wasn't even minding it so much any longer. Yeah, things had definitely changed since he was a 25-year-old S.T.A.R.S. member working for the Raccoon City police force. Ten years and a lot of deceased comrades and friends later and here he was, still standing. A few of their faces flowed through his mind. Joseph Frost, Forrest Whittaker, Brad Vickers, and there were plenty more. Those were just some of the first he'd had to leave behind. Some of the first he'd eventually had to let go of. His smile lessened on his face from such thinking and he let his eyes close.

"The world's a fucked up place, Krauser. I'm just doing my best to live in it."

When silence followed, he figured that meant Krauser hadn't been able to find anything to argue with Chris about his comment. Another minute later and he was fast asleep. It had been a long time since he'd slept as good as he did the remainder of the night.


	36. Learn to Live Again

Chapter 35

-Learn to Live Again-

Dawn was breaking when Chris next opened his eyes. Claire and Leon were still fast asleep, Krauser was no longer on the roof with them, and it seemed Wesker had yet to return. Eva was wide awake and appeared to have been watching him sleep. She smiled when his eyes found hers. He was thrown off by finding the girl who had so recently been the subject of his thoughts the previous night, being the first thing he saw in the morning. I could get used to waking up to her beautiful face. Chris thought to himself. The next thing he did was pretend he hadn't just had that thought.

"You're up early," he said to her. Well aware he was pointing out the obvious, he attempted to redeem himself with a question. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Nah, too many thoughts running through my head."

"Understandable," Chris told her. "A lot has happened. And it's not like a concrete rooftop makes the best bed."

Eva scooted over to sit beside him. "Do you think Melody will be okay?"

The question caught him off guard and he stood himself up to awaken more fully. He did much better with thinking when he wasn't extremely exhausted or half-asleep. Once he was properly alert and oriented, the reality of Melody's predicament hit him. Chris found he would much rather not answer Eva but he knew she would never let this particular question slide. Melody had become a sort of friend to them both during the time she'd been with them. She had a right to hear the truth.

"I don't know, Eva. I really don't know. Ada tends to work for some shady characters. Heck, she worked for your father at one point. If she handed Melody over to some other corporation with a sick, twisted fascination with illegal experimentation..."

He let himself trail off. There was no need to say anything more. Eva was entirely capable of understanding the things he wasn't saying out loud.

She shifted her eyes away and stared at the cloud covered sky above. The clouds were dark, the air growing steadily colder. It appeared a storm was imminent. Every time there was a storm it brought back bad memories for Chris. During the time of the mansion incident in 1998, it had been storming terribly all throughout the night. The former BSAA agent's demeanor became morose at this line of thinking. His life held a lot of past events he wished had never happened to him. One couldn't choose what did or did not happen. The facts of life could be downright painful as he well knew. Having that knowledge didn't make it any easier though.

Eva's expression took on a look of thoughtfulness. "Whatever happened to that cop? I can't remember seeing the woman on our way out."

Guilt came over him then. Chris hadn't even thought about Detective Taylor..Katherine..until right at this very moment. She had helped them out, saved Melody's life. Whatever that may be worth, now that Melody had been taken captive by another. But even still, the cop had killed her own partner to protect a group of strangers. She'd put herself at risk of being another victim of Umbrella's, had they ended up failing to destroy the central facility of the corporation. Yet he didn't even know whether or not Katherine had made it out alive.

"Eva, I think..I think maybe she stayed behind." Chris told her, though he couldn't be sure that was the case. No one could be.

Silence reigned over the next few minutes but it was all right because it was the good silence. The kind where it didn't feel necessary to talk. The two of them watched the sky.

Instead of growing lighter as would be the case for everyday sunrises, the sky was becoming darker, clouds covering the entirety of it. If they didn't get off this rooftop soon, they were going to get wet. Chris could care less if he got wet. It was the others he was thinking about. At the very least, he knew his sister would not appreciate being awakened by persistent drops of water falling from the air above. None of this probably mattered much. Chris figured they would be moving out soon. The earlier, the better.

Law enforcement had been combing the city throughout the night. They would be growing tired, fighting to stay alert and focused on the task of tracking down those responsible for the gunfire and explosions that had gone on for the better part of last night. He had the feeling Umbrella wasn't going to be able to keep this disaster under wraps. The complete annihilation of a seemingly mundane family pharmaceutical company in the middle of a fairly sizable city would certainly not escape the attention of the media either. Reporters were bound to be attempting to cover the story as Chris was having these very thoughts. Even if it were never discovered Umbrella Corporation had been behind it all, Murphy Pharmaceuticals was sure to take the blow. Police often missed things but they weren't totally hopeless. They would realize there was something worth investigating within the company and soon, Murphy Pharmaceuticals A.K.A. Umbrella Corporation, would be a mere memory.

He had done it. Umbrella was finished for good this time. There could be no coming back from such total destruction and loss of employees and funds. Chris had done it. No, they all had. Eva, Claire, Leon, Krauser, and Wesker each had a hand in putting a stop to the evil company. He smiled to himself and he caught Eva looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and wonder if possibly he'd gone insane just then. His smile stayed the same as he met the young woman's gaze.

"I was just thinking..we did it. Months ago, we set out to do something and we succeeded. Umbrella is gone. I hate to say it, but working with Wesker, well..things seem to get accomplished a lot faster," admitted Chris.

Eva grinned. "That's my dad. The quicker the better. He isn't one for being patient."

"No, he's not. You know, I was also thinking about what I'd said to you that day in Africa after everything was over. About people like us not getting happy endings. I was thinking maybe I was wrong. We might not get perfect endings, but right now, I'm feeling pretty happy."

"Wow, Chris. That's deep," she said to him, sarcasm obvious in her voice. Then her expression grew more solemn as she continued to observe him. "I'm glad to see you smiling like that."

"And how exactly am I smiling?"

She paused, as though thinking over the exact right word to use, before answering. "Honest."

Chris stared at her and she stared back. For a moment he swore she was trying to tell him something with just that look but then she turned away, back to gazing on the murky clouds above. "I'm going to miss this."

He wanted to ask her what she meant. She seemed suddenly so sad and he couldn't understand it. He was going to ask her too, but out of nowhere, a wave of nausea swept through him and his head began to throb painfully. Perhaps now that his body was fully awakening, the injuries he'd acquired during his time-traveling escapades were catching up with his mind. The migraine certainly felt like an extremely painful reminder of the previous night.

Leaving the rooftop with the excuse that he needed to use the bathroom, he headed down the stairwell, making it to the mall's garage entrance on the ground floor. He didn't want to even attempt to find a restroom on one of the floors and so he opted for the concrete ground of the parking area to use for disposing of his stomach contents, which wasn't much, so it was a lot of dry heaving that didn't feel too good at all. He heard footsteps echoing across the garage and prayed the heaving would let up soon. It did and he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, straightening up and turning to face the owners of the two pairs of footsteps he heard coming towards him. Chris wasn't sure if he was relieved it was Wesker and Krauser instead of police, or not. On the one hand, he wasn't in much condition to be fighting anybody right then so he supposed the two superhuman beings trumped running into cops convinced they were doing the right thing by trying to bring him in. Ironically, if Chris was ever connected to the Murphy/Umbrella pharmaceutical building blowing up, he might be thought the terrorist and not the other way around.

Krauser was eying the little mess he had left on the ground while Wesker was busy apparently trying to read into Chris's soul or something because he was staring pretty hard.

"I suppose it was foolish not to give you a proper examination after everything that happened to you last night. I should take a look at you. Get a few samples of blood."

Chris rapidly shook his head at the tyrant, immediately regretting his choice of motion as the sharp pain in his head worsened and he felt he might be sick again. He braced himself against the wall, unconvincingly trying to appear as though he was casually leaning on the solid surface, and shook his head slower this time.

"I'm fine and hell no you're not getting any samples from me. I haven't forgotten how you managed to get some the last time and you better not even think about doing it again."

"You're hurt."

Chris snorted. "No shit. I've been hurt plenty of times. It sucks now but the pain will eventually lessen and go away. I may have gotten a little used to the whole auto-heal thing that came with the virus when I got killed but if suddenly the virus doesn't make me heal or come back from the dead or whatever, I'm fine with that too. Unlike you, I don't have some psychotic need to be God-like or invincible. You know, whatever your rallying cry is these days."

Krauser chuckled and Wesker narrowed his eyes at the other man who held up his hands in a mock position of defense. "Hey, that was funny. I can appreciate humor. You should try it sometime."

If looks could kill...

"Entirely serious now though, Chris, sit," the hand placed on his shoulder shoved him down so that he found himself seated on the cold, hard surface, courtesy of Jack Krauser. He tossed a bottle of prescription painkillers into Chris's lap as Wesker walked away from them, entering the stairwell, his footsteps receding away until there was nothing.

"My turn to be serious now." Chris said to the other, ignoring the pills and his curiosity of how exactly they had been acquired in the first place for the time being. "How can you work for that guy?"

"I don't. Not really. This is a favor."

"Come on, be serious."

"There will be some compensation. Otherwise, I'm just a hire. I work for anybody who can afford my services."

"You're a piece of shit, Krauser, you know that?"

"Utterly."

Chris smiled. "Well alright then, as long as we're on the same page."

Popping two of the pills in his mouth, he dragged himself to his feet and held out a hand towards the other man, who stared at it in obvious puzzlement.

"You worked with me and didn't stab me in the back or anything. That's an achievement in my book after what happened with you and Leon. So..it was nice working with you, Krauser."

The bigger man hesitated a moment longer before accepting Chris's hand in a firm shake. "Pleasure working with you too I guess. You should really try getting hurt less though."

Chris smiled humorlessly. "Yeah, yeah."

As the sounds of someone on the staircase reached their ears, he turned expectantly to face the direction, knowing his sister, Leon, and Eva would be the ones coming down. Wesker too, of course. He looked back at Krauser when the man said his name. When he peered at the mercenary-for-hire, he was surprised by how intensely Krauser was staring at him now.

"You know Wesker."

"What?"

"People can change. But not entirely. Whatever is at their core, that's for life."

"Interesting philosophy...?" said Chris, trailing off uncertainly. He wasn't sure what was going on all of a sudden.

"It's a warning. Be careful who you keep for company. They could be the very people you're trying to stop."

Chris frowned. "Are you talking about Wesker? I don't think for a second he's changed his scheming ways. He's too in love with himself and his apparent 'superior intellect' to do that."

"Good. Long as you're aware."

"Krauser, is there something I should know? Krauser?"

"I think you'll be fine. You're a smart guy and you've survived Wesker thus far."

He didn't say any more on the matter and Chris was left gaping at him as his sister and Leon came strolling into the parking garage. They were walking particularly close and his frown deepened. Switching his gaze from Claire to Leon and back again, he approached the two, thinking about how Krauser had said he was a smart guy and yet he'd apparently missed something right in front of his eyes. The former BSAA agent smiled at Leon, a very polite smile which didn't reach his eyes whatsoever. Leon noticed this and attempted a weak smile back at him.

"Uh, hi Chris. How are you doing?"

"Oh I'll be just wonderful in a few seconds."

"What? Why's that?" asked Leon.

"Chris, are you feeling okay? What's up with you?" his sister demanded, looking suspicious.

Leon meanwhile, was still clueless. He had his gun out and aimed at Leon's face, the gun practically touching skin, in under a second. Eva shrieked out in surprise, an uncharacteristic thing for her to do, really, but he didn't drop his gaze away from the younger man. Wesker arched an eyebrow above dark sunglasses and did nothing more. Krauser didn't even react outwardly. He just watched. Again, Chris paid no attention to them. Only Leon was in his sights right now. He stared at Leon's eyes until they met his own gaze and then he spoke nice and slow for him.

"You hurt her, I shoot you. Are we understanding one another?"

Leon's quick glance at Claire told everything he had already suspected. The two were in a relationship. He had been too preoccupied to notice before. He wasn't too busy now. Leon swallowed hard.

"Right. Yeah, I understand."

"Chrrriiis," whined his younger sibling.

He lowered the gun and holstered it, paying no attention to Claire. He had said all he wanted to say on the subject of their relationship, which could have gone on for any amount of time without his knowledge. It wasn't like he was around much to notice, but hey, he was the big brother. It was his duty. Chris clapped Leon on the back.

"With that out of the way, I'm happy for you Leon, and good luck."

"Heeeyyy..." Claire protested.

Her protest went ignored and Chris glanced Wesker's way. "So, we gonna try to get out of here, or what?"

Wesker nodded. "We're moving."

They headed out to the street on foot and walked down the sidewalk for a while without seeing much of anything. It was still really early in the morning and so there were few cars on the streets and even fewer people walking around. Chris was actually pretty surprised there had yet to be any sign of police presence considering how much of a presence they'd shown all throughout the night. They were a good distance away from the place of incident so it wasn't impossible that the cops were searching over primarily that area instead. When there finally was a squad car in sight after they had been walking for a good ten minutes or so, the six of them ducked into the nearest building. It was an electronics store. There were only two customers in the entire place as it hadn't been open for business long, and a few employees were present also. Everyone was standing around near the section of televisions watching something with clear interest. Chris walked over to the television closest to the door in order to watch the news report which seemed to have everyone's attention, vaguely aware the others had followed him over.

A male reporter was on the screens standing across the street from where the burned remains of Murphy Pharmaceuticals now stood, speaking into the camera. He saw he had guessed right. There were cops crawling all over the place along with firefighters. Chris tuned his hearing in to what the reporter was saying into the microphone.

"And the fire has finally been put out," the male reporter was saying. "Now not long ago, I was made aware that the well known pharmaceutical company famous for its family first way of business, has shut down all of its factories. You heard right, folks. Murphy Pharmaceuticals has closed down business indefinitely. This decision was made public to us early this morning and little is known about the reasoning behind the move. What we do know is that the company has been having issues with orders failing to make it to their destinations, because of entire facilities shutting down one by one. The details are fairly murky but what we know is that last night, the explosion which rocked the city dealt directly with the company. Apparently their entire central office building exploded, the result of an unknown factor. Police believe some sort of sabotage was the cause of the explosion. As we reported several days ago, the president of Murphy Pharmaceuticals was actually killed in the explosion of a completely separate building owned by the company."

Chris glanced sideways at his sister. He had never wanted to drag her into this mess. She had always been involved though. It was his fault but there was nothing he could do about it then. He'd done something about it now though. Umbrella Corporation was done for and his sister would no longer have to worry about what those people might of accidentally unleashed upon an unsuspecting population next. He turned back to the television to listen again.

"Law enforcement officials refused to comment on what they referred to as an 'ongoing investigation', but one official did admit police were looking at the demolished buildings as targets of possible terrorist attacks. Why terrorists would target a family pharmaceutical business is definitely something to wonder about... In other news, an anti-terrorism organization known as the Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance or the BSAA, has announced they will be disbanding effective immediately, and say the decision will be permanent. When asked the reason for shutting down the organization, a representative responded, saying only that the funding was no longer there for them to remain in operation..."

Chris felt like smiling, knowing that the BSAA and Murphy Pharmaceuticals were shut down permanently, proof Umbrella was finished. But his happiness was overshadowed by the tragedy that could never be erased, could never be undone. So instead, he did what he could finally do. He walked away, secure in the knowledge that Umbrella couldn't hurt anyone again. Chris turned and headed for the exit, vaguely hearing the man continuing his report on the television screens.

"Interestingly enough, the ruin of Murphy Pharmaceuticals may bring feelings of deja vu, for those of you who recall the pharmaceutical corporation that went under after suspicions of illegal experimentation got out back in 1998. These rumors leaked to the public after the midwestern town of Raccoon City was wiped off the map, and evidence eventually came to light about possible fault lying with the pharmaceutical company. Umbrella Corporation, founded by Oswell E. Spencer in..."

The gone rogue soldier didn't hear the rest. He didn't have to. Chris knew the rest of the story. There was no need to dredge up the past. This chapter of his life was over and it was time for a new one to begin.


	37. The Way it Is

Chapter 36

-The Way it Is-

"Chris!"

Claire Redfield jogged out of the electronics store after her brother. It had begun to rain and a loud crack of thunder muffled her next shout to him a bit. "Chris, will you wait already?!"

As the rain poured down, her older brother did stop but only out of necessity. He must have been hiding how much pain he was in after the apparent hell he'd gone through at the mercy of the machine, because now he was sliding against the wall of a building. He managed to remain standing but when Claire got around in front of him to see how he was looking, she saw how his face bore a terrible grimace.

"Chris, I knew you should have gone to a hospital. You're hurt."

She inspected him more closely and even went so far as to shift his clothing up so she could get a good look at what she already suspected. Sure enough, the more severe injuries of his, particularly some deep scratches on him, were continuing to weep blood. Ignoring the indignant glare from her sibling for invading his privacy, the reddish-brown hair of her ponytail whipped around fast as she called out to her boyfriend.

"Leon! Help me!"

"It's not that bad, Claire. I just need to rest for a minute before we continue on."

"Before we-are you crazy?! You're bleeding!"

"Not that badly."

She stared at her ridiculously stubborn brother, hands crossed over her chest, expression one of astonishment at how reckless he was being right at that moment. When she took her gaze away from her brother, Leon was there, along with Wesker's daughter, Eva. The other two must have still been inside the store. She didn't linger long on thoughts of any of them except Leon though.

"Leon, tell him he's being stupid. He needs medical attention. He needs a hospital!"

"He can't go to a hospital, Claire. They may see his injuries and suspect he had something to do with the Murphy building exploding."

Chris wasn't meeting anyone's gaze, eyes finding a permanent fixture on the brick wall he was using to keep him upright. Claire glanced from the enormous worried look of Eva Wesker's, to the look her brother wore, one of concentration as he tried to psych himself up to get moving again. The woman had seen that look on many an occasion. Whenever Chris was too exhausted from work during the time he had been working for the BSAA, or recovering from an injury, also from work, Claire would see that look whenever she stopped by to see him and it happened to be one of those days. His effort to attempt to be his usual self for her. To make her think nothing was wrong and that the birds were chirping, rainbows covered the sky, and the sun would never stop shining. She, of course, never bought it. Her brother was transparent even if he didn't like to think so.

On one of those days, his face might have been smiling but the tension in his shoulders was there. The strain he put his body through just to keep upright and sociable for her remained in plain sight to her. And in the eyes too. Always in the eyes. That was where it was easiest to read Chris. It drove her crazy when he pretended to be okay and cheerful when he wasn't feeling that way. The dishonesty of the act was unlike Chris. But the thing about her brother... Je was dishonest only when it would serve to make someone else's life better. That was the way he was. He would do anything to help others and it was why he had been so successful at his job in the BSAA when he'd been an agent. Personal sacrifice were the two words which embodied her brother perfectly. Claire knew her brother well. After all, he was her hero.

It appeared Eva could read the man as quickly as she could. Claire would bet her life on it that the girl had to force herself as she removed her eyes from Chris, on over to her and Leon. But she did it, and then to Claire she spoke.

"We need new clothes. You do too, Chris. We both look a mess. Let's go find ourselves some new clothes. Then we'll get ourselves out of this city. Far away, okay?"

Claire watched as Chris looked her way and then to Leon, who so far, appeared to be the only one on his side. "Leon, help me out here."

She gave her man a stern look until he saw, and watched as it successfully achieved what she'd been hoping it would.

"You can't go to a hospital, Chris. But you do need medical attention. Believe me, I know exactly what you're doing. When you're on a mission and you get hurt, you can't afford to slow down or let it show. But you know what? You aren't on a mission right now. And you have people with you who can take care of you. So why didn't you say anything?"

Claire was satisfied with the speech Leon had given and so she let her arms fall to her sides as she waited for her brother's response. The brown-haired, broad-shouldered man stood up fully, without the support of the wall, and rubbed the back of his head with a hand, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah..sorry about that. I haven't gotten used to needing others to help me I guess. Ow!"

Another slap elicited a second outcry from Chris but she ignored his complaints over her actions. He well-deserved these hits. "You're not used to accepting help. That's your big explanation as to why you're letting yourself walk around bleeding. Have you forgotten the other injuries you have acquired in the very, very, recent past? Cause I haven't. And now you're getting new injuries over the not so old and saying nothing. Alright, that's it. We need a doctor and you're not going to like it."

She had seen what both Chris and Eva had failed to see. Wesker and Krauser joining them in the street. In a way, Claire realized they were fortunate to have the whole works of thunder, lightning, and drenching rain. It masked the disastrous appearance of Chris and Eva with their blood-soaked clothing and Chris's numerous injuries. It also likely kept the police from finding them by making it a little more difficult, for the authorities currently seeking out anyone suspicious that could be connected with the explosion of an entire facility, to get a good look at anyone outside. Most importantly, it was giving her the excuse she needed to hand him off to others for the time being.

"Wesker, Krauser..Leon too. The boys!" she decided with a triumphant grin. "You guys are gonna take Chris here, and take him into the library right there." Smiling probably a little more gleefully than was entirely wise, she swept her arm in Wesker's direction. "Oh, look, a doctor. How convenient."

"Wh-what? He was a scientist, not a medical-"

Claire cut off her brother's protests swiftly, speaking as she pointed towards their assigned destination. "A doctor is a doctor is a doctor."

Everyone's eyes followed her finger across the street to where she was pointing.

"Eva and I are going to find some clothes for her and we'll find some for Chris too. Disperse!" she shouted, and grabbed the young blonde lightly by the arm to pull her along with her as she ran across the street without another word to anyone else.

Chris stared after her, startled. "Claire!"

She grinned and kept on moving away from them, letting him think that perhaps she had not heard him because of the noise of the rain. Wesker, and this man she was not familiar with, Krauser, she didn't trust one bit. But with Leon there, she felt much more comfortable leaving them alone together. Leon and her brother could handle them if the two suddenly decided to turn on the humans, right? Yeah. Claire told herself. They'll be fine.

Eva let herself be pulled across the street and onward to a store a couple buildings down from the library Chris's sister had essentially ordered the others to go to. Though it was early, the store was lit and there were a handful of people inside. She tried to slow Claire's march as she peered down at the state of her clothing, but was too late, and she found herself standing inside the shop with the other woman. As soon as her arm was released, she backed up so she would be standing more closely to the door.

"Claire, look at me," she whispered the words but it came out louder than intended and an employee swung her gaze around in mid-motion of placing a couple of folded shirts onto a shelf.

She sighed and gave the female employee her best shot in this situation she had found herself. "Ah..Halloween costume."

"It's June."

"Right..."

The shop worker seemed to be trying to settle between feeling disturbed or disgust. After settling on something that appeared somewhat in between the two, she walked away. Eva shrugged. At least she had gotten the lady off their back. Claire on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by their nearly being discovered at all. She was waiting expectantly. Presumably for her to start looking for something new to replace the old, ruined clothing.

"Okay, you win, Claire. Let's find some new clothes. The ones I've got now are pretty..well, you saw the employee."

Claire gave her a small smile. "Yes, yes I did. Now..are we looking for anything specific for you?"

It was Eva's turn to direct a smile at the taller woman. "Something black."

The rain didn't bother him all that much but Leon couldn't deny, it felt nice to get out of the cold wetness in exchange for the much warmer interior of the public library's entryway. Other than that, things were not going so well in his personal opinion. They were stuck in Aurora, Colorado of all places. As much as he would rather not think such a thought, he just really didn't like being anywhere in the Midwest. Being trapped in a zombie-infested city in the Midwest on his first day on the job as a police officer over ten years ago had left its mark on him. The woman whose life he saved and who in turn later sacrificed her own life to save his, left a mark on him as well.

Later on, he discovered she had in fact escaped Raccoon City and wasn't dead like he thought. During his mission in Europe, she had come to the rescue for him once again and he ended up saving her life too, after she had gotten in over her head while she was saving him, yet again. This same woman, the woman he had made some sort of strong connection with, a connection that could only be made through the very real struggle to survive together, in a city of the dead, had done what she always ended up doing.

She betrayed them. She had betrayed him..again. Ada Wong was an enigma, plain and simple. She appeared in the center of where things were happening, and disappeared just as smoothly. Little was known about her but the Asian woman seemed to be involved in a lot of bad things and he should have known better than to expect this time it would be different. That this time, Ada wouldn't be mainly looking out for number one. She had been. She helped their group for a time, but ultimately, at the first opportune moment, Ada had taken Melody. Where ever Melody was being taken, it was highly unlikely to be a pleasant experience for her. Damn Ada... Leon was beginning to wonder if her name was even really hers.

The test subject was loaded rather unceremoniously into the transport vehicle fully equipped with a cryogenic storage tank in the shape of a solid box. And she was in it. The moderately successful Umbrella test subject nicknamed Melody by the recently deceased Richard Murphy. Melody, the very same woman who had befriended current and former government agents, the sister of the former government agent, and a teenage girl, as well as being accepted by a mercenary and a man considered a terrorist because of his continued involvement with biological weaponry. Albert Wesker was a man with his hand in everything it seemed.

Ada Wong watched the two men slam the back doors of the transport shut, her betrayal sealed along with the lock sliding across the doors. Unfortunately for the absurdly peculiar group of people working together against Umbrella, betrayal was a thing that came second nature to her. Her latest employer had wanted Umbrella's most recent relatively successful test subject after the rumor of her escape spread through the black market information network. No, its, Melody wasn't a her, she was an it. An it because she was manufactured into existence, not born. To avoid humanizing it would be easiest. Then she wouldn't have to feel guilt over her actions.

As soon as she thought guilt, her mind shifted over to thoughts of Leon. He was the one who had brought hesitation to her. Ada had actually liked working with him and the others for whatever brief amount of time it may have been. She didn't rely on anyone though. Never had and she never would allow herself to. Relying on someone else would just give them the opportunity to let her down. Her past spoke volumes of this, but it was unlikely she would ever trust a person enough to explain a possible why. So she wouldn't. Betrayal was her thing, not trust. And even though Leon Kennedy could actually cause her better side to come out and have her do the decent thing, in the end, the job she was on always prevailed.

One of the men nodded in her direction as a way of bidding her farewell before going around to the front of the vehicle on the driver's side. The other came up to her and handed her an envelope. It would have her payment inside she knew, so she didn't bother to look inside. She merely took it from him, gave him a sweet smile, and told him it was a pleasure doing business. Turning on her heel, she strode away, knowing he was watching her and those long legs of hers as she went.

A few yards from the vehicle and she had already forgotten the man. Removing the contents of the envelope and tucking it away, she grabbed a lighter she had attached to a thigh holster hidden under her long dress. She set the now empty envelope on fire and let it flutter to the ground as the flames consumed it. No need to leave fingerprints laying around near these people she had just completed business with, in case their bosses decided they didn't want loose ends existing and tried to find and eliminate her. Ada pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number recently given to her that she had devoted to memory for later use. Someone on the other end picked up and she found herself smiling as she spoke, because she needed this sort of thing to take her mind off of the reality of her life. She needed to keep busy.

"Hello HUNK, you said you might have a job for me?"

Wesker pondered if his former subordinate would ever be comfortable around him. Chris seemed to be making it a habit to switch from either flinching or warily eying him, as his injuries sustained during his time-traveling adventures were taken care of by the only PhD among the four men in the entryway of the library. There were benches in the entryway which would do. They dared not venture further into the building because surely someone would react to seeing such on oddly assembled group and phone the police. Though Chris was the only one visibly wounded, the others remained in outfits not quite befitting of say, a visit to the local library.

Why he had been nominated to play medic, he didn't know. He was a doctor, yes. But one of science not medicine. The female Redfield had been behind this. Perhaps it was Chris's sibling's way of playing a sort of cruel joke on them, putting the two enemies together like that. Of course, she had sent the government agent along with them, possibly to watch out for her brother. But really, should he or Krauser choose to murder the two men with them, it would be all too simple. That's why he was patching Chris up instead of killing him. It would be too easy to kill him. Not enough sport in it, right?

"The wounds are ultimately superficial. You'll recover fully," the black-clad man informed the single one of their group who was actually using the bench to sit.

The government agent, Leon Kennedy, was standing by the door watching as the storm outside grew worse. Krauser on the other hand, had taken it upon himself to prop a foot up on the flat surface of one of the benches. One of his hands rested on the raised limb, while the other hand moved as he continuously tossed his combat knife into the air and caught it. Wesker took a step back to allow Chris room to stand but he chose to stand only after he saw who was approaching the building through the torrential rainfall outside. He watched his daughter and Chris's sister come in, shaking some of the wetness off of them as they did.

"Looks like you could use some new clothes too." Kennedy commented to his girlfriend.

To that the younger Redfield shook her head at him and purposely shook a little rain from her hair onto him.

"Nah, it's only a little rain. People won't find it strange we're wet when we're walking through that," she pointed to the outside at the heavy rain to emphasize her point before adding, "But blood-soaked clothing they would most definitely be suspicious about."

His eyes followed his daughter's movements. She was holding a bag which she held out to Chris after coming over to him. He had not failed to notice how she avoided his gaze. It appeared she would not be so forgiving of him, even as her father, after now fully understanding how little he could care for others. The former agent accepted the plastic bag from her and started to reach inside it but she stopped him.

"Chris, wash the blood off your skin first, otherwise it will just get the new shirt all messy again. And Claire paid, Chris. Wouldn't want to let her money go to waste."

He gave her a look but she was having none of it, even as she fought to not appear to be noticing that Chris was indeed shirtless. Wesker fought the urge to roll his eyes at such nonsense as he saw the blush creeping across her face. He also suddenly felt the urge to strangle the younger man who was giving his daughter thoughts that were..for all intents and purposes..not so pure. Of course, Chris wasn't actually doing anything to elicit such feelings from the girl except stand there with a naked torso because his shirt was ruined.

It would be rather difficult to explain his actions should Wesker cross the minor distance between them to snap his neck.

"Okay, okay, I'll wash up first. Be right back."

He headed to the public restroom which thankfully was right there in the entrance. There might have been one or two curious people if he had needed to go through the library to reach the restroom, missing a shirt and heavily bandaged.

"There are two in there, Chris!" Claire called after him.

Without turning back around or slowing his pace he asked incredulously, "What do I need two shirts for?"

"Back-up! We know how you like to ruin your clothes." Eva responded, and the two women burst into a fit of giggles for a time.

Arching an eyebrow, Wesker observed his daughter smiling and giggling. He could never make her smile like that. In fact, he failed miserably at making her happy the majority of the time. What good was he as a father? Even he recognized that he was far too self-centered for anything like accepting fatherhood and actually being present for his daughter's life. Now she was all grown up and he had missed seeing most of it. He was thankful she was human though. He was grateful to have at least that knowledge in mind. Now she could have the life she craved. One of humanity.

His eye caught the gleam of metal catching in the light and he pushed such thoughts away. "Krauser, do you really think it wise to be playing with a knife in such a public place when the police are searching the city for anything even the slightest bit suspicious right now?"

He got a shrug from the scarred man. "Let 'em try and make something of it. We'll see who lives and who dies."

"Missing the point there, Krauser." Leon said to his former fellow agent and partner.

He seemed all too eager to find an excuse to belittle the man who he was not even a tiny bit friendly with any longer. Krauser had kidnapped the President's daughter about five years back, handing her over to a cult bent on infecting the world with a form of parasite. Some might say that was crossing the line, but the mercenary just thought it was good fun. The mercenary was of the opinion that the world had fallen into irreparable disaster long ago, so what did it matter if he kidnapped a president's daughter here, maybe murdered or caused a little bit of chaos over there... Wesker had to agree that the planet as it was now, well, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find reasons not to at least strongly desire a new world. He had the ability to make it happen too. He knew this as a certainty.

Krauser caught his knife and froze. Leon quickly followed after the reaction, handgun out and ready to fire. Claire and Eva stood looking uncertain, and it was left to Wesker to move first. They were all hearing the sounds associated with a fight coming from the bathroom but their response was delayed because of the unified confusion among them. They had to assume Chris was one of the participants in the fight but who would be the other? Why would they be fighting him? He grew concerned with his lack of monitoring the surroundings around the group as they had all progressed from the television shop. Normally he was so very particular about knowing every factor that might need to be considered whenever and wherever he was. Wesker had found himself distracted though. His daughter often had that effect on him. There was a small possibility they were followed to the library. There was an even smaller possibility of the place's bathroom having a back door. It seemed all the small possibilities had turned into one very real truth.

He became a blur as he moved at a speed too quick for the human eye. Kicking the door open, he strolled into the bathroom, well aware the other four were right behind him, and stopped immediately upon entry. There was a man in dark clothing, sleeves rolled up on the shirt, on top of Chris, brutally hitting the man from where he was on the ground, repeatedly. Chris was flat on his back, arms limply hanging out at his sides now that he had apparently been beaten past the capacity to even try and fend off his attacker. An attacker who Wesker recognized and was impressed had come after them. Then again, he wasn't just some suited business executive, he was more a soldier than anything else. A soldier driven his entire life by seeking vengeance on others. The scar extending from his right brow to the jaw on the other side of his face, the largest amongst numerous scars, and the burns covering the entirety of the left face and left arm where the skin showed, made the man unmistakable. Darius Greene, come back for revenge against one Christopher Redfield.


	38. Heart of Stone

Chapter 37

-Heart of Stone-

He found himself relieved to be completely alone. Heck, he found himself relieved to just be wearing a clean shirt again. Chris stood over one of the sinks, staring into the mirror at his own reflection. His sister and Eva had gotten him a t-shirt, hunter green in color. The more important part was that it was both blood free and dirt free. He turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on his face. Staring into the mirror got him looking at those eyes. His eyes that were once a purely brown shade now spotted with green flecks. Proof of the R-Virus real and working inside of him.

The virus didn't bother him so much any more. Umbrella was gone and plenty of lives would be saved because of it. That gave him some relief and he was feeling better..about everything. Everything including the virus coursing through his own veins. Ideally he had hoped to go along with life, avoiding becoming infected with a virus. But he wasn't ignorant either. He knew by throwing himself out there on the line, in the path of criminals and terrorists, especially those arming themselves with biological weaponry, there was always that chance. A chance he might be hurt or infected or killed. And he had indeed gotten infected with a virus, created by the Umbrella Corporation.

At least he hadn't been infected with the T-Virus or anything. Those victims were some of the more tragic he'd seen. Human beings dead and rotting, yet forced to roam about with nothing but the mindless feeling of ever-lasting hunger. What he knew about the virus he had was little. This virus of his kept him from aging, or so Wesker told him it did, and judging by the advanced stage of healing, his injuries that were hours old had achieved, he would heal faster than a normal human as well.

If a wound was fatal though, he had to wonder whether that injury would heal. The other day he had died. It was only for about a minute but Krauser had informed him after providing life-saving measures to bring him back, that he had been very much dead. The Obliterator managed to have a lasting effect on him after all it seemed. It had weakened him in the process of nearly destroying his body from the inside out. He was no biologist or expert on the human anatomy but he knew a thing or two about getting hurt and dealing with the pain that came with it. While he'd been time-traveling, he could feel what the machine was doing to him, messing with his insides. At one point he'd even thought it very possible his heart would explode right out of his chest, the pain so sharp, so severe.

Chris shut the water off, giving his rugged complexion one last glance in the mirror. Short but slightly messed up hair, and the faint outline of facial growth was what he saw. The bags under his eyes were hardly noticeable at least. The previous night's rest had done him a lot of good apparently. More than he could have imagined. There was something about Eva being there that helped him sleep more restfully. The nightmares had lessened too. He wondered if Eva being around him was the reason, or it was simply the passage of time. Then he began to wonder why he thought the reason mattered.

Movement from behind him. Chris narrowed his eyes as he stared into the glass of the mirror and noticed there was a door at the back of the bathroom. Some kind of custodian or maintenance entrance probably. It came to him now that he had seen the second door when he'd walked in the restroom. Difference was, the door was no longer completely shut. Chris spun around in time to catch a fist to the center of his face. The blow stunned him, knocking him off balance. Hands fisted into his shirt, lifting him off his feet, and his head was slammed into the mirror. Another fist struck him. This blow hit him in nearly the exact same place as the first and so it hurt doubly so.

He managed to grab his assailant, gripping him by the shoulders, but he never even got in another move because the attacker began wailing on him then. He'd seen who it was in the brief moment of respite he was given before the attack turned brutal. Darius Greene. The man must have trailed them from the mall or the electronics place. The only way Chris imagined Greene could have even known they were at that mall or store for a time was if the guy had people of his own looking for them. That was as far as his thought process went.

The next time he had a conscious thought, he was lying on his back, his face getting hit over and over by the badly scarred man. Blood was everywhere and he could do nothing but take it. The attack had just been so..unexpected. The irrational but complete and total hatred radiating off this man was unexplainable. Chris could not wrap his head around it or come close to understanding. Darius didn't know him, but he sure loathed him regardless.

The relentless assault abruptly ceased and soon after a voice filled the bathroom. Chris couldn't bring himself to try and move or do anything whatsoever. Instead he laid there, Darius's weight a burden keeping him down flat either way, and listened as he heard Leon's voice.

"Greene, how did you find us?"

"I have a better question. Why did you find us?" Krauser queried.

"Chris! Oh my God!"

That last voice belonged to Claire and he figured everyone had come running into the men's bathroom to his rescue. He should probably feel grateful, but he found himself feeling pathetic and weak instead. Plus, his face really, really hurt. Already one eye was puffing up and he knew his face was likely a mess of swelling and bruising. The last thing he wanted was to be moved, but in the next instant following his sister's exclamation upon seeing his condition, he was being dragged up from the ground. Chris was spun around so he was facing the group of five come to save him, an arm locking around his neck while the other hand yanked one of his arms behind his back, jerked upward at a painful angle.

"This is your fault. You and that little bitch just couldn't die, could you! I gave you the cure. Why couldn't you use it like she did?" Darius demanded angrily.

"How did you know I used it?" asked Eva in surprise.

Chris kept his head upright even though all he wanted to do was drop it to his chest and let unconsciousness claim him. The arm around his neck tightened, cutting off his air supply, and a voice spoke close to his left ear, though the speech was directed at Eva.

"Umbrella may be defeated but I, little girl, am not. My men have been watching you since you set foot inside that facility. They know you took that cure and they know this one didn't."

Greene loosened his hold against Chris's throat and now was speaking to him. "I hold you accountable, Mr. Redfield. Once you found out about the Obliterator, you couldn't let it go until you destroyed it. Umbrella killed my family and took my brother to be experimented on for years. They used Skye to operate that machine, therefore that machine belonged to me! My brother, my blood, mine!"

"You've lost it." Leon uttered. "You're completely insane."

The former BSAA agent was getting sick of this shit. People who would take it upon themselves to claim righteousness when they hurt the innocent in order to achieve personal, selfish gains. The callous disregard for human lives and the cruelty with which they would treat anyone who they deemed insignificant. Darius Greene was no different from any of them.

He had had enough playing hostage. Wrenching the arm from his neck, he pulled away from Darius. The heavily scarred man maintained his grip on Chris's arm for the most part, though Chris did get himself turned around to face the man clearly out for revenge. The grip was iron tight on his wrist and was dangerously close to causing some serious damage. But he ignored the strong discomfort and focused on his words.

"You wanna find someone to blame?" Chris sputtered out through the thick blood gathering in his mouth. He spit the blood onto the ground before continuing what he was saying. "If you want someone to blame, take a look in the mirror."

"Don't you talk to me, Redfield. In my opinion you're just another freak resulting from Umbrella's reckless desire to experiment on anything within their reach that has some sort of genetic code. You know, rumor has it you can die now. But those eyes tell me you're not cured yet, so there must be something special still inside you. Interesting..."

"Wow..I agree with Leon. You're insane."

Greene didn't even spare the mentioned Leon a glance. He was looking from Chris to the others. Eva was inching her way closer and Chris figured Darius was well aware of how quickly Wesker and Krauser could move, so they definitely warranted keeping an eye on. His eyes finding Chris again, he glared.

"You will die for ruining my chance at claiming what was rightfully mine. You all will pay for killing my brother too!"

"He wasn't your brother anymore!" Eva yelled, anger creeping into her tone. "He was a monster, or a freak as you so fondly call by-products of Umbrella, and in the end you wanted to use him just as Umbrella did."

Chris saw it coming but didn't have the energy to kick his instincts into gear to defend himself much as Darius twisted his arm and slammed a booted foot into his side, sending him crashing against the wall with the second door. The door which Greene slammed his fist into instead of Chris's head. He responded to the angry son of a bitch with anger of his own.

"You brought this upon yourself when you decided to use bio-weapons created by the very people you hate. When you made that choice, you made it my job to come find you and put a stop to you. You're no better than them. Actually..you are exactly-like-them."

"Chris..."

It was Wesker's voice and the warning was obvious. He could tell the man was trying to advise him against angering the man who only a minute ago beat his face in, giving it a temporarily new configuration. There was good reason for the warning it seemed. Greene looked extremely ticked off, more so than before.

"How the hell did you survive that machine, Redfield? No one has ever survived it. I want what's in your blood. The idiots at Umbrella lost their research and samples of the Regenerative virus in one of the many facilities that leaked a virus. The Wesker girl has been cured so that just leaves you."

"Let Chris go! Why are you doing this? What do you want?!"

The knock on the door must not have been simply in anger because there was a knock on the door, this time from the outside, and Darius yanked Chris back with him, away from the wall. The two of them were still thrown back and to the floor by the explosion that put a giant hole in the wall and the area where the door used to be. Rain poured, the storm continued to rage, and lightning illuminated the soldiers standing outside. Soldiers armed with either handguns or assault rifles. Instead of uniforms, they wore a variety of army gear and clothing, bringing Chris to figure these dozen or so men were working for Greene.

Darius smiled at Claire, apparently ready to answer her. "The world, Ms. Redfield. I want the world. Is that so shocking?"

Eyes were on him and they were Darius's naturally. From where he was sprawled on the ground, Chris realized he ought to get up because Greene was looking downright threatening by the way he was eyeing him after turning away from his sister. He shifted over onto his back, pushed himself to his feet, and finally remembered his weapon. He put a hand over the gun holstered to his thigh, hoping it would be enough to keep Darius away from him. There was no luck for him this time.

The soldiers outside were maintaining their ground, making no move of attack as of yet. Probably awaiting instructions or a sign from their leader. Greene smirked at Chris.

"The world will come eventually. But first I'll start small. I want the virus running through your veins, Chris Redfield. I want that virus. And I will have it any way I can get it."

Chris would have made it away from him, he liked to think. But he hadn't expected the psycho to lunge forward, grab hold of his both new and blood-soaked shirt, and proceed to bite him on the shoulder after tugging the shirt out of the way. Greene clamped his teeth down hard too and Chris failed to keep down the scream that tore through his throat and into the now stifling air around him.

He was dropped to the ground without further regard as Greene smiled with blood stained lips. Darius pulled a vial conveniently stored in his assault vest pocket and placed it to his lips, letting the blood pour from his mouth to rest in the glass container. Wesker's eyes flashed red and the next instant he was throwing himself at Greene. The mercenaries outside opened fire, however, and the tyrant had to divert his path in order to dodge the bullets coming at him.

It seemed like everything moved faster all around him from that moment on. Wesker and Krauser were combating the mercenaries who were letting their gunfire go wild in their efforts to put down each of them. The bathroom was being torn apart, concrete and porcelain spraying out everywhere in pieces. A hand touched his arm, causing Chris to look up and find Leon crouching down by him. He kept low to avoid the random bullets flying everywhere while Chris could only seem to stare at the younger man who was examining the fresh bite in his shoulder.

"It's pretty deep. That bastard..."

"Where is Eva? And Claire?"

He didn't answer. Instead, Leon helped Chris to stand and the two of them made their way over to the first stall where Eva and Claire had taken cover. Looking over his sister he could see she was all right so he then turned to the blonde woman next.

"Are you alright?"

Eva let slip a disbelieving laugh as she regarded his horrible appearance. "Am I alright?" Her eyes lowered from his messed up face to his ruined shirt. "Your shirt, Chris, you barely had it five minutes and look at it."

"Good thing you brought me two then, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."

A bullet struck the stall at a spot uncomfortably close to Claire's head and almost in perfect unison all four of them ducked down low to the ground. It would do them no good to forget the fight going on around them while they lay behind cover. The gunfire began to grow lighter and eventually let up altogether. There was nothing but silence and then footsteps. Leon gestured for Chris to stay down along with the girls while he drew his sidearm and readied for whatever was approaching.

Krauser and Wesker had returned. Leon didn't relax much despite it not being Greene or any of the mercenaries. He did lower his weapon to his side, stepping back to allow room for Chris, Claire, and Eva to get to their feet and see it was them. Through the hole in the side of the restroom, the storm continued on, louder than ever. Chris couldn't see any sign of Greene or his soldiers standing there.

"They're gone, for now." Krauser said, filling them in. "Seven of them dead, the other three ran away. Darius is gone too."

"I doubt it's the last we'll see of them," added Wesker. "We need to get out of the city. They'll be looking for us."

"Why?" Eva questioned. "Why would they come after us?"

"To kill us, Eva." Chris told her. "As long as we remain in this city we remain in danger. Greene doesn't care about reasoning. He just hates and he's targeted each of us for destroying what he wanted. Doesn't matter to him there is no real logic behind his hatred."

"Great..." the young blonde muttered.

Chris got himself over to one of the sinks. The one that had been left the most untouched by the attack. He began washing up and he felt, rather than saw, Eva come to stand beside him. She rested her head against his shoulder tiredly and sighed in an exaggerated fashion.

"We'll get out of here and it'll all be okay," she told him.

He had to wonder if she was saying it more to reassure herself rather than him. Free of the blood, his face remained a batch of large bruises and cuts. His right eye had swollen completely shut and the other felt badly irritated. Chris was not feeling too positive about that. He was a marksman, shooting was his skill. But at this moment his vision was strongly compromised. Eva lifted her head off of him and laid his extra shirt on the countertop in front of the sink.

"Get this one bloody and you're stuck with it. Got it?"

Chris didn't say anything. He merely smiled softly. He didn't want to admit it to her but it hurt to move his face even a little any which way. Claire saw it though. She could always see right through him.

"Hey Eva, bring me that bloody shirt. How do you think we should dispose of it?"

Eva moved over to her, carrying his shirt which he'd removed for her to take, and Chris could hear them debating whether it would be possible to flush it or not. Chris didn't waste any more time getting the other shirt on and checking his gun and bullets. He had 45 rounds in all.

"Put your gun away, Chris. We both know you are in no condition to be firing a weapon."

"Shut up, Wesker. I can hold my own."

"I'm sure you can. It would be foolish to try this time though and you are well aware of this fact."

Chris glanced in the mirror to check on Eva. She was occupied with his sister. The perfect time to finally say what he wanted to say to Wesker.

"I know you haven't stopped your planning, Wesker. Uroboros might be the past but you're probably cooking up something entirely new. Don't deny it."

The sunglasses wearing man kept expressionless as he spoke loud enough for every one of them in the room to hear. "Surely the authorities will be arriving in minutes. Even with the storm, all that noise could not have gone unheard." Wesker leaned in close, speaking directly into Chris's ear. "You're right, Uroboros is the past."

That was all he said and then he moved off to go speak to Krauser about their transportation out of the city most likely. Chris hadn't failed to notice that while he admitted to the part about Uroboros, he had said nothing about being up to something new. Wesker hadn't confirmed or denied his accusation which told him volumes. He stared at the daughter of the man whose actions forever altered his life, hating that he was right this time about said man. Hated it for Eva's sake. She deserved better.

Already he could see now that she was virus free, it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Yeah, Chris figured, Eva Jane Wesker would end up with a relatively happy life. He was sure of it. Free of the virus, she could be free of the need to fight and risk her life because it was the life her father had chosen. Of course, they had to get out of the city alive first.


	39. Flee

Chapter 38

-Flee-

Time was not on their side. Leon S. Kennedy knew how these things tended to go. There was nothing new for him about being in a place where pretty much everybody was after him. Usually the ones hunting him were not entirely human, or entirely sane, or they ended up fitting into both categories. This situation was neither for a change. The people hunting them were fully human and fully determined to catch or kill them.

Law enforcement had no clue they were chasing after the good guys. They were police officers who thought they were doing their jobs. Leon couldn't lay any blame with them. The mercenaries currently searching for them he most definitely could. They were hired soldiers working for a man named Darius Greene, and he hardly believed his being a government agent would save him from the wrath Greene so highly desired to dish out. A thirst for revenge that could only end one way if the man didn't let up, with either Leon and the others killed, or with Greene dead.

Their traveling group of six were still miles from their destination. Jack Krauser said the air field where he'd arranged for the plane would be clear. He had men covering the area. So they just had to get to that airstrip and they would be successfully out of harm's way. Of course, it would only be true if Jack Krauser could be trusted, and Leon wasn't so certain about that.

There was a time when he had trusted Krauser with his life and they had worked side by side on a mission together. Krauser had gotten permanently injured, Leon hadn't. The trouble started there. Jack Krauser had dedicated his life to being a soldier and serving his country, along with the government that ran it. When he got injured, the government tried to push him out. They ended up pushing him into turning to someone he perhaps didn't quite fully understand, Albert Wesker. Unlike the government, Wesker gave the soldier the help he wanted. He gave him the means to become strong again, battle-ready. Now he wanted to change the world like Wesker did. In other words, Krauser had changed since the time Leon worked with him, and he had changed, not for the better. He was dangerous because of his beliefs, and the government agent could not bring himself to trust the other. In his opinion, it was safer not to trust a questionable variable.

Moving down the sidewalk with the others at a relatively brisk pace. He felt like this might be hopeless. Surely they would be discovered sooner, rather than later. The majority of them were wearing clothing not fit for a casual civilian, and weapons were strapped onto outer clothing, noticeably. It didn't help the awkwardness of all of them being together. Claire walked beside him, consistently glancing his way each time she looked at her brother. Her brother, who was walking with Eva just ahead of them, but scowling over at Wesker and Krauser. The pair with superhuman abilities had taken the lead on the sidewalk and apparently were making Chris quite unhappy.

Leon couldn't say why. Maybe something had happened back at the library that he had missed. Either way, it wasn't helping their predicament. If Leon had his way, he'd have them jogging the entire distance to their flight out of this city. He wasn't comfortable being stuck in a city where he knew danger could possibly be at every corner. He was concerned he couldn't keep everyone safe. The way he saw it, Wesker and Krauser were on their own, Chris was fully capable of taking care of himself just as Leon was, and that left Eva Wesker and Claire Redfield. Both of them had zero professional training.

The two women were far from helpless though, as each of them had been involved in and survived dangerous situations including ones with biological weapons. And if either knew he was thinking about how best to protect them if and when the need arose, they wouldn't be too kind to him about that. Claire and Eva were strong-willed, intelligent women who could think on their feet, and didn't feel they would ever need some knight in shining armor swooping in to save the day. Sometimes things happened which one could not prevent. Even Leon admitted he had needed aid on occasion during a mission. So he kept a watchful eye out as the six of them walked quickly on towards the outskirts of town, where the airport awaited them.

Wesker and Krauser stopped moving almost simultaneously. They came to a halt just as abruptly, and Chris's head slammed into the shoulders of the two men in front of him. He figured that had to have hurt the man pretty badly though he wasn't showing it. The guy's face looked like he'd gone ten rounds with a stone wall instead of the fists of Darius Greene, and hitting his bruised and cut face on something solid couldn't have felt too good.

Eva, who was walking next to Chris, managed to avoid the two superhuman men because she had been a step slower than Chris, allowing her time to stop herself from running into Krauser's form. Leon moved up to stand by the three men as the older Redfield was shrugging off the smack his forehead had taken, to see what was the problem.

"What is it?"

"Something's out of place," was all Krauser told him.

Not feeling very satisfied by the response, Leon asked a second question. "Is something wrong? Can you sense someone here?"

"Not someone, something. More than one and they're moving fast." Wesker revealed, eyes shifting upward through the dark lenses of his sunglasses. "Along the rooftops there. Do you see?"

"No way." Claire breathed out, unwilling to believe what she knew Wesker was implying. "They unleashed monsters here in a populated city?"

Chris was shaking his head. "Some bio-weapons must have gotten out during the attack, before the explosion."

"Chris is probably right. Be on guard." Leon said to them as he took out his gun.

At least they were fortunate the rain was letting up. It would be much easier to see the hunters currently clambering around on the rooftops, apparently fixated on following and killing the six people they had set their sights onto. Leon had never seen a hunter up close himself but he'd heard plenty about them. The creatures were a kind of bio-organic weapon created by Umbrella. Partially human and partially reptilian, hunters could jump and move fast. Unlike zombies, they had large claws, a certain level of intelligence, and could go through doors without much hesitation.

Leon followed the hunters on the rooftop of a building behind them with his eyes, moving back on the sidewalk a little before coming to a stop. There were three of them from what he could tell. They were too far to shoot from where he was and they were just standing there, watching him and the others. He wondered what the creatures were waiting for. Claire was watching him and he glanced her way.

"What do you think they're waiting for? Why aren't they attacking?"

It was as though she was reading his mind.

"I don't know." Leon answered her and a frown creased his face a bit. "I really don't."

He decided they might as well keep moving and not just stand there waiting for an attack by the creatures. They could keep an eye on the hunters as they went so as not to be caught by surprise if the monsters finally decided to charge. Leon placed a hand on his side and took on a leaning posture as he regarded Claire and the others, about to tell them what he thought they should do. That was when the bullet whizzed by his face, actually skimming his cheek it was so close, causing a brief moment of red hot pain. The bullet then buried itself into the paved road on his right.

As soon as the bullet grazed him, his eyes grew about two sizes bigger and immediately he threw himself against the building which would provide him a small fraction of cover. Possibly. He wasn't altogether certain where the shot had come from which meant he didn't know where the shooter was either. This made him an easy target. It made all of them standing there on that sidewalk an easy target. The shooter had to have been a sniper and could be at a great distance for all he knew. Leon snapped his eyes over to the other five.

"The mercenaries have found us."

"Greene," stated Wesker, his lips thinning tightly closed after speaking, the only indication of his great disdain for the man whose name he'd spoken.

"We've got to go. Right now!" Claire shouted, tone becoming urgent.

She tried to grab Leon by the arm, to pull him along, but he stood his ground. "Hunters and mercenaries... Our chances of survival just went down a fair amount. Our situation when we were in Raccoon is looking pretty good right about now. At least the zombies were stupid, right Claire?"

Claire didn't seem amused and then, when they thought their luck couldn't get any worse, a patrol car turned onto the street. Upon sight of their gathered group, the driver started up the lights and siren, car angling towards where they were on the sidewalk. The government agent said the one thing that made a whole lot of sense to say in this situation.

"Run!"

And they did run. Wesker and Krauser were of course the faster runners with superior speed on their side, but they kept themselves slower in order to not lose the rest of them. Chris and Eva were almost perfectly matched in speed, though the female managed to move just a little more quickly, and that left him and Claire. He was maybe a couple of steps behind Chris, with Claire lagging in the back. She wasn't by any means slow, just the slowest out of their group.

The explosion that blew up a parked car beside him and Claire knocked the both of them off their feet and hurtling into a car all the way on the other side of the street. Vaguely, he was aware of someone shouting his name but listening to the voices wasn't really his top priority at the moment. Right then Leon was more focused on figuring out his rapidly changing surroundings. A second explosion promptly followed the first, this one tearing up the ground not far from his feet. He pinpointed this second shooter's weapon of choice. A rocket launcher, and the shooter was kneeling on the rooftop of a two-story shop almost directly in front of the direction their group had been heading.

"Damn, these guys aren't messing around," he muttered.

Claire scrambled behind the car she had been thrown into and whispered Leon's name. He took cover along with her and used the opportunity it presented to take in his environment completely. There was a sniper somewhere behind him, a man with a rocket launcher on the roof of the shop ahead of him on the other side of the street, Wesker and Eva were nowhere in sight, Krauser was gone too, and Chris was standing in the street with his gun out. The former BSAA agent was just standing there right where he could easily be sniped or hit by the launcher wielding soldier. That was failing to take into account the very real possibility there were other mercenaries nearby, waiting to ambush all of them, who could shoot Chris with relative ease.

"Chris! Move! Take cover!" he yelled at the guy.

He found himself either ignored or unheard as Chris continued to stand there, gun pointing in an upward

trajectory. It wasn't long before he saw why. Leon was good at shooting, very good. But even he had to admit when Chris fired twice, perfectly taking out the soldier grasping the rocket launcher on the roof, he was impressed. No, more than impressed, he was amazed at the amount of skill and talent it took to make such a shot. And this was with Chris using one eye since his other was out of commission for the time being. The mercenary toppled over the edge of the building and hit the ground dead. But thankfully, Chris was smart enough not to wait around to watch his bullets hit home. Leon saw him get running immediately after he fired his two shots and it was in good time too. Bullets, from the sniper most likely, hammered the street where Chris had been a mere second or two ago.

The time to watch ended abruptly for the government agent when the police car screeched to a halt in front of the car he and Claire were hiding behind. As soon as he heard a car door opening, he was pulling Claire up from their cover and then they were running. This wasn't good. This was utter chaos. Everyone from their group had been split up and he wondered if it was what Greene had intended to happen.

A strangled shout followed by a strange, wailing shriek, had Leon spinning around to look back the way he and Claire had come. Two officers had been in pursuit but one of them was already lying dead on the sidewalk. An ugly, amphibious resembling creature was on top of him, slashing away with all the gentleness of an enraged lion protecting its herd from a threat. One of the hunters he and the others had seen lingering on the rooftop of a rather tall building just before. It appeared they'd chosen not to wait any longer to attack. And, Leon realized, without directives programmed into the creatures, they would try to kill anyone that so much as caught their eye.

"Claire," she turned back to look at him from where she had been scanning everything around them with wide, alert eyes. "We can't let those monsters roam free. Innocent people will probably get hurt. It's up to us to take them out."

The woman smiled at him. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's kill this thing."

Leon took aim, emptying his entire clip into the creature as soon as it took notice of the second policeman still standing there gaping in horror at the shredded remains that had once been his partner. It was why the agent preferred to work alone. He wasn't sure he could stand losing a partner. He knew Chris had lost plenty of them and he honestly didn't understand how the guy could deal with the heartache it must surely bring. The cop moved his gaze to Leon and Claire, then took in that the latter of the two didn't have a weapon. He surprised the experienced government agent when he stepped over to them and held out his primary sidearm with the gun handle pointed in their direction. The officer was offering his weapon.

Face betraying his puzzlement over the act, the cop addressed it. "For the woman. She should have something to defend herself with. I don't know what's going on here tonight, but I can tell you're not here to harm anyone."

Cautiously, Leon came forward to accept the weapon from the law man. He took the gun and passed it over to Claire, who looked it over and then looked up at the policeman.

"Thank you."

The officer turned to go but seemed to talk himself out of it for a brief moment in order to ask them something that was clearly on his mind. "That thing..what is it?"

Leon knew he meant the corpse of the hunter sprawled on the ground beside his partner. He also knew the less the man knew, the safer he would be.

"You're better off not knowing."

Leon walked away, Claire moving to walk beside him. But the cop's next words stopped him short, eating at his conscience.

"He was my partner... It killed my partner..."

Without turning back around, the agent answered him. He didn't have the heart not to. "It's a type of B.O.W. Do you know what that is?"

The guy frowned. "That's a kind of weapon, isn't it?"

"Yeah, B.O.W. stands for bio-organic weapon."

Something appeared to occur to the policeman. "Bio-weapon? You mean like that corporation that's been on the news because of Murphy Pharmaceuticals being shut down? Uh..Umbrella." he grew visibly paler. "Oh God..this isn't going to be another Raccoon City is it?"

"No." Claire assured him with all the confidence Leon figured she could muster. "That's not going to happen here. We're not going to let it."

The officer looked her over and apparently deciding not to say anything, he took off back to his squad car.

"Leon, we've got to get out of here!"

He saw then what she was seeing. A helicopter flying above the city, visible even with the dark and gloomy clouds covering the sky. The chopper was unmarked, meaning it didn't belong to any law enforcement agency. It had to have been one of Greene's men piloting the craft. The helicopter was drawing nearer, a light attached to the aircraft switching on to search the street they were occupying. Leon couldn't figure out how they had known so quickly to find them there. They must have been followed by the mercenaries..again.

"What do we do? I don't see my brother or anyone else."

There was only one thing they could do. He met Claire's worried gaze head on, reassuring her by speaking to her with his eyes, showing her he was calm and under control. Letting her know they would get out of this. Trying to remind her of how they had been through much worse together.

"What do we do, Leon?"

Their eyes remained locked on one another as he answered her. "We run."


	40. Flight

Chapter 39

-Flight-

Two blocks on and then Claire's mind began to race, worry setting in fully. Leon was in the lead as the two progressed onward in what they hoped to be the direction of the airport. She wasn't really sure about a whole lot of anything right now, but she was sure on one thing with absolute certainty. They needed to get to that plane and get the heck out of the city. The worry was there though. Claire and Leon had been divided from the others with no idea where they were or if they were safe. She didn't know anything about this Jack Krauser, who had arranged the flight either, so she couldn't even trust the airplane would be there. It was a matter of having little other choice. This was their only foreseeable escape and so she and Leon made their way hopefully towards it.

The reddish-brown hair of her ponytail swished as she did a quick inspection of the road ahead and the road behind. Claire wished the wet downpour would have continued. But such heavy rain was not meant to last and so now they had only the murky sky to conceal them from the numerous forces out to stop them. The Aurora police force was still on the prowl searching for any possible perpetrators to the Murphy pharmaceutical explosion but the number was growing noticeably thinner. Either the cops had moved on to another part of the city or they were giving up the search. Or maybe B.O.W.s were keeping them occupied... She shook the thought from her mind. No, she had to believe the hunters she had seen would be taken out without too much harm done to the people living here.

Darius Greene's hired guns were the real problem she knew she needed to concern herself with at this precise moment. Mercenaries who wanted to get paid, and in order to get paid this time, the result would have to be the death of Claire and her friends. What was it about her that seemed to attract the psychos determined to see her dead?

Helicopter rotor blades could be heard and not long after, the flying craft itself rounded a tall building. For a moment it seemed to hover in place and then gradually it turned about, facing towards the street Claire was occupying with Leon. Sure enough, as the chopper flew past buildings, directly above the street, she could see it was coming straight for them. Leon had already seen what she had and he yelled for her to follow after him. Umbrella once attempted to gun her down in one of their buildings in Paris via helicopter outside, the building and employees inside be damned. She had no desire to relive that situation again.

Following rapidly behind her current boyfriend, the two of them ran hard all the while searching for some place they could use for cover. There wasn't anything too great for that but when the whir of an automatic weapon clicking into life reached their ears, the two didn't hesitate to throw themselves behind a dumpster in an alley fortunately close to their position. Dozens of bullets hammered into the metal of the trash canister turned shield and she found herself covering her ears from the loud noise that followed each blast that punctured a hole in it. The object wasn't making her feel too secure and she feared a bullet would go through and hit either her or Leon.

She was quickly coming into the frame of mind to voice her opinion when Leon did it for her.

"We can't stay here," he told her over the rapid fire. "Keep down."

Before she could say anything, he was raising his head and shoulders above the rim of the dumpster, aiming his handgun in the direction of the helicopter. After a brief moment, he fired repeatedly, the threatening gunfire cutting off abruptly, and the pair didn't waste the opportunity. They scrambled out from behind their temporary cover and took off at a dead run down the block. She knew she should keep her eyes straight ahead and just focus on her running but she couldn't help it, she found herself glancing back constantly to assess where the chopper was at. So naturally, she tripped.

She skidded across the concrete sidewalk on one knee and though it hurt a good deal, she stifled the cry and dragged herself back up immediately. Survival instincts were in overdrive for her right now.

"Leon, we have to get out of the street!"

He didn't answer her but instead halted abruptly at a door a half a dozen feet up and kicked it open after a few strikes. Claire didn't hesitate moving past him to get inside the building and when the bullets started again, Leon had to dive in to avoid them. He kicked the door shut behind him. The two surveyed their surroundings. They were in a bookstore. It appeared the business had yet to open for the day as the place was dark and there was no one around.

"Let's hope this place has a back door. We can try and go through buildings as often as possible, make our way to the airstrip from there. We know it's east of our current location so we'll just continue in that direction and hopefully..we find it."

"It will take longer but it probably is the safest way. But Leon, won't the police be all over that helicopter? Especially after it just tried gunning us down in the middle of the street."

The agent shook his head. "No. I doubt the police will get it together in time to be any help to us."

Claire was surprised by such a thing. "How can you say that?"

"Let me put it this way. The cops are in charge of the safety of their citizens so they'll probably be out there on the streets, trying to make people feel safe. But even if they have the brains to get their own air support in the sky to take down the rogue helicopter, I get the feeling these mercenaries wouldn't hesitate to shoot first."

She frowned at his words but didn't say anything else. Leon worked for the government and had been on missions which had caused him to see things, undoubtedly horrendous things. Claire had seen some herself when she had been trapped in Raccoon City, the place infested with zombies and other..freaks. Then again on Rockfort Island and an Umbrella facility in the Antarctic, she was forced to escape the living dead and other monsters trying to kill her. When she was rescued by her brother, they had soon after parted ways, each of them departing with a new mission on their minds. Chris had been determined to ensure Umbrella was stopped once and for all, while she decided to turn her attention to the survivors of horrors such as what resulted from T-Virus outbreaks. She helped the victims through an organization known as Terra Save the best she could, whenever she could.

The point was plain and simple. Leon's work had made him overly suspicious of everything. And sort of bitter too, Claire imagined. It worried her sometimes whether he was ever going to be able to let it go. Let go of the job which took over the majority of his life enough to be with her. To really be with her.

"Claire?"

She looked up, realizing Leon had been talking to her. He came closer to her and hesitated before putting a hand on one of her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

This was neither the time nor place to discuss her doubts on their relationship. Claire wasn't even sure she wanted to go there with him. Not anytime soon at least. She and Leon had developed a bond that hellish night in Raccoon City over ten years ago. It was a bond not easily broken but time could take a toll. Like Claire and her brother, Leon and her had taken separate paths in their struggle against a world ever-changing because of biological weaponry. Such different paths caused them to spend much time apart and they had completely separate lives at those times too. That was why their relationship was one which continually switched from on again to off again. She and Leon, it was complicated.

So she answered his question about her well-being, the only way she could at such a dangerous place and time. "I'm fine, Leon. We should keep going."

He wasn't buying her answer and she knew it was an obvious brush off, but she knew him too. He wouldn't say anything about it. Leon was good at giving her space. Sometimes he was too good. Sometimes she wished he would press for her to tell him more. Then maybe he would be more open with her about himself as well. She sighed to herself when Leon turned his back on her in order to explore the room further. There she was mulling over her relationship again after she had just told herself it wasn't the appropriate time for such thoughts.

"Yeah, okay, let's move."

Leon located a back doorway and the two of them passed through it into an alleyway. They hadn't realized how loud the sounds were outside until they were there again. Sirens could be heard in the not so far distance and there was gunfire coming from at least two different areas in the city. The good news, the helicopter appeared to have moved on. There was no telling how far it was from their location or whether there was more than that one sniper who had almost taken Leon out earlier. So they made sure to take care and stay close to the sides of buildings. They were prepared to duck into another building if the need arose.

They kept their pace to a steady jog. It was tiring after a while, but it would get them where they needed to go much more quickly. A mile from the bookstore and the rain had started again. That in itself was nothing. The heavy downpour was enough to mask the trodding footsteps of a hunter though. Fortunately for them both, it gave out a shrill cry before it leaped at them.

Claire spun herself around when she heard the shriek, her eyes widening in surprise at the sudden attack, and then threw herself out of its path. Sharp claws scraped into the concrete sidewalk, leaving deep indentations. The woman crawled backwards, using her arms and legs to propel herself backwards as the creature lifted its beady black eyes towards her. Remembering the gun the cop gave her, she took aim and fired, nailing it in the eye.

Screaming out in pain and frustration, it staggered back for a moment. Then it regained its balance and came at her once more. That was when Leon unloaded his weapon into the monster, not letting up until the hunter halted its attack on Claire. After enough damage was dealt, it fell onto its back, shrieking and thrashing until it was dead. Leon came over to her and helped her back onto her feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you." Claire told him.

"You were handling yourself just fine. I figured you wouldn't mind if I lent a hand though."

She smiled at the grin he was giving her. Claire loved that look on him. Then she noticed the moving creatures in the rain. The sky had become darker with the growing number of thick, dense storm clouds. All the better for concealing things here on the street level. But the hunters were there. She could see them. There were two and they were staring across the street at her.

"Leon!"

"This way!" Leon shouted and threw himself into a door, shoving into it with his shoulder.

The door broke open and Claire followed him inside. They kept moving, up a flight of stairs to a second floor. It was an apartment building and when a crash came from downstairs, she knew the hunters were in pursuit. Claire and Leon ran down the hallway and took a left when they spotted an emergency exit stairwell. Before they could even start over to the door, the door came flying open as a guy was kicked through it. By none other than Eva Wesker, who continued the assault by running up to him and socking him in the face with everything she had.

With a groan, the guy fell unconscious. He was wearing gray fatigues and a combat vest. Most certainly one of Greene's mercenaries. No longer threatened, Eva lowered her fists and lifted her gaze from the man's prone form to eye level. That was when she saw them and her expression became one of relief.

"I thought I was never gonna find you guys."

"Do you know where my brother is?" Claire immediately asked.

Her heart dropped a little when Eva shook her head and responded. "No. He could be at the airstrip already. Greene has at least a dozen men out there looking for us and the police have begun to gear up, working to take out any suspicious persons in the area. There's combat going on in their city and they don't know what to make of it. So naturally, they bring out the guns and heighten the discrimination."

A reptilian utterance reached their ears, bringing all three of their gazes to the corner Leon and Claire had rounded not so long ago. Three guns came up to greet the hunter that came crashing around the corner towards them. Claire let Leon and Eva discharge their weapons while she conserved her ammo. She didn't have extra ammunition like the others and she also remembered she had seen not one hunter in the street, but two.

As the creature was taken down, the second one made its appearance, barreling into Leon at a dead run. The two rolled across the floor, Leon grappling with its clawed hands to ensure he wasn't ripped apart. Screw conserving ammo. Claire emptied the remainder of the handgun's clip into the monster as soon as she had a shot where Leon wouldn't be in the line of fire. It stumbled back away from the male agent but the hunter wasn't down yet. So Eva took it out by walking right up to it and unloading a few more rounds directly into its face.

"Eva, don't be so reckless." Claire scolded. "You're human now. Don't forget that."

She smiled slightly as she holstered her gun. "Trust me, I won't."

Leon climbed to his feet and moved over to the unconscious soldier. Kneeling by his side, he searched the guy for extra ammunition they would be able to use. The mercenary had a semi-automatic rifle as his primary weapon but there was a .45 handgun holstered to the man's side with a full clip and another to spare. Leon removed the handgun and extra clip, standing and handing them over to Claire.

She discarded the empty gun for the .45 and slipped the clip into a back pocket. "Thanks."

Eva was checking over her own weapon and counting her ammunition supply. When she finished, her eyes found Claire. "How are you holding up?"

The question concerning her well-being caught her off guard. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

The younger woman made a brief gesture towards Claire, then tapped her own cheek. Still uncertain, Claire raised her hand to the side of her own face and felt the skin there. Sure enough, there was a rather sizable cut on her cheek. She had no idea when she had received the cut. She hadn't even noticed any pain. It must have happened in the heat of the moment, when there were other things on her mind, like surviving.

Leon looked from Claire to Eva, then back to Claire. "We should keep moving. That airport is at least another mile or two away. We've got to get out of here."

There was no argument from either of the women and so the three of them headed down the emergency stairwell, Eva in the lead. She seemed convinced she knew the way to the airfield. Wesker had sent her a text message with directions on the most direct route to the meeting place. When they reached the door and pushed it open, almost immediately it was pulled shut again. By Leon.

"We can't go out there."

"What? But Leon-"

Claire's puzzled words were cut off by the male. "There are a group of mercenaries right outside. We must have stumbled upon an impromptu meeting of theirs."

Eva frowned but didn't argue with him. "Alright. We should lay low for now. Right here."

The longtime Terra Save member didn't want to wait around. She wanted to find her brother. Leon was a professional with this sort of thing, however, and Eva had a fair share of experience herself. If they both thought it was too risky, it probably was. Claire put her back to the wall and let herself slide down it until she was sitting on the floor. She hoped the mercenaries would disperse soon so she could find Chris. The worry was there though. Those mercenaries were out there, organized and deadly, and they were looking for each of them. That meant Chris too. She lifted her eyes to the door and stared as if she could look through it for answers, murmuring a single question softly to herself.

"Where are you, Chris?"


	41. A Thing Worth Fighting For

Chapter 40

-A Thing Worth Fighting For-

Over two hours had passed and Chris was still trapped inside the city. He was almost to the airstrip which ought to count for something. His face was almost completely healed too. Things were looking up, but the closer he got to his destination, the more indecisive he became. There was absolutely no sign of the others. He was alone and he kept contemplating on whether he should go back and look for them. Every time he thought that, he remembered how big the city was and knew it would be foolish as well as pointless. He would never find them unless he happened to get extremely lucky. By the amount of chaos going on in Aurora with the mercenaries running about freely and the police force rushing around trying to figure out what was going on in order to stop them, he would more likely get himself lost or killed.

Chris heard the distinct sound of rotor blades and he took off running in the opposite direction even before he saw the aircraft. Fortunately, it was the direction he needed to go, but when the helicopter came into sight and trailed directly after him, he dashed down a side street in order to avoid being seen. A street which happened to be occupied by a group of nine mercenaries, each of whom turned and saw him as he skidded to a sudden stop. Trained as they were, they had their guns on him before he could even react more than to put his hand on his own holstered weapon.

One of the mercs lowered his gun and removed a handheld device of some sort from his pocket. He looked continuously from Chris to the device until he apparently found what he was looking for. The man stared at the small screen as he strolled calmly over to where Chris was standing and then put it away. He eyed the agent's hand hovering over his handgun holstered to his right thigh, glanced back at the eight armed men behind him, and then back to Chris's gun. He got the message. He put both of his hands up to show he wouldn't be drawing his weapon on any of them. He figured he had better if he didn't want to get shot in the head instantly.

The man in front of him was all business. "Where are your friends, Mr. Redfield?"

Lowering his hands, the former BSAA agent laughed. "No idea and that's the honest truth."

"Where are your friends?" the question repeated, the man obviously not believing him.

"We got separated running from you people."

"Surely you have a rendezvous point, a place you were to meet up. Where is it?"

Chris stared at the guy incredulously, then smoothed his features and blankly said, "No, sorry. We didn't think that far ahead."

The apparent leader of the mercenaries smiled at him. The next second Chris was on his back, dazed, having been hit in the face with the butt of the man's rifle. He was dragged up by two of the other mercenaries who moved him right over to the center of their group of hired killers, the leader following behind them. Within seconds his arms were wrenched behind his back and there was a knife in the hand of the man in charge. The man was standing in front of him and he was back to being about business.

"Where are you supposed to meet your friends?"

Silence. The knife was stabbed into his shoulder. Chris bit down on his lip to keep the cry of pain inside.

"Where?"

Chris gave no answer. The knife was twisted and it hurt so bad. There was no holding in the yell of pain this time. After being turned, the knife was pulled out and held up directly in his line of sight.

"Where are they? Where is Albert Wesker? His daughter Eva Wesker? What about Jack Krauser? Your sister Claire Redfield? The government agent Leon Kennedy? They are in this city. They are meeting you somewhere. Tell-me-where," demanded his interrogator.

"So you can kill them? I don't think so."

The knife was jammed into his upper thigh. "I've read your file Redfield. I read all the files on my targets. Yours was very, very recently updated to include the fact that you can now die."

A hand locked onto his jaw and Chris tried to twist free, receiving a knee into his stomach to stop his struggle. It worked and he was forced to stand there as the mercenary gripped his chin, examining his face more closely.

"It appears you heal more quickly since the machine got hold of you too. Your face was badly bruised only a couple of hours ago. Do you realize how convenient that can be.." he paused for emphasis before adding, "For torture?"

Chris swallowed but was ready with a comment. "Too bad we both know you don't have the time to wait around for me to heal in a few hours to go another round."

His face was released, the man in charge stepping back. Another soldier came over to Chris and the two keeping him still for their commander. The one holding him in place on his right side worked with the newly arrived mercenary to extend Chris's right arm out. The former BSAA agent didn't like where this was going. Whatever was about to happen couldn't be good.

"True," the leader admitted with a smile. "So I guess we will just have to make the most of the time we do have."

He gasped out when the knife was lodged into his right hand, directly through the palm. His hand was in sheer agony and he could only stare at the knife sticking into his palm, blood leaking out from the deep wound. The damage was bad, the blade most definitely having severed nerve endings. He prayed for it to grow numb.

"You're right handed, aren't you Chris? A soldier needs both his hands. Especially when said soldier is a marksman, am I right?"

Chris ignored the taunting, trying to focus on maintaining steady breathing instead of paying attention to the throbbing pain coming from his palm and shoulder. He would take the pain, he would take whatever these people decided to do to him. He would do all of that because he knew it was for a purpose. These men were hired killers who didn't care about right or wrong. They cared about getting the job done and getting paid for it. Chris wasn't like them. He fought against corrupt people like them, psychopaths like Darius Greene, those consumed by the insanity of the world like Albert Wesker, always.

He had to put a stop to the ones who would use their power to harm those without. The former agent turned vigilante for justice believed in the good in people. He wanted to believe everyone could be saved if they chose to be saved, chose to make the right choices. He also believed every single person had the right to live in a world without fear. Chris made an effort every day to make it become a reality. There were a lot of bad people in the world and plenty of evil in the works, but he figured any little thing he could change could help make a meaningful difference in the end.

"No, no, no, Mr. Redfield," the mercenary leader scolded him playfully. "I need you to talk more, not less."

When Chris saw he was going to try and touch the knife that was causing so much pain to his hand, he reacted defensively by pushing off of the ground and kicking both feet into the man. This gave him the opportunity to break free of his captors, elbowing one particularly hard in the face. The other mercenary nearest him tried to grab him so he lashed out with his foot, kicking him back. He put distance between himself and the nine mercenaries but he couldn't run. Five out of the nine had their guns on him. Their leader pointed his own gun at Chris, making it a total of six weapons aimed in his direction.

The retaliation was quick but expected and he did the best he could to avoid it.

"You'll pay for that," the commander informed him and pulled the trigger.

Chris managed to avoid a death dealing shot but not to avoid it entirely. He felt the bullet go in and through his right arm. "Gah!"

The gun was fired again and again at him and he probably would have been dead if not for the hand which latched onto the back of his neck, dragging him roughly back and to the right. Chris glanced over his shoulder and found Jack Krauser to be his savior. When his neck was released he maintained his balance and then the two of them without saying a word, understood what was the best move in this situation. They took of running, Chris cradling his injured hand with the knife still impaled in it as he ran. Blood continued to flow freely and the throbbing was worsening as he antagonized the wound by being forced to move it constantly. He tried to center his concentration on putting one foot in front of the other though, and on his attempt to keep up with Krauser.

As luck would have it, that was when the hounding chopper made its appearance. Add to that, the mercenaries giving chase on foot, and Chris was thinking his rescue might not amount to much more than a slightly delayed death. Krauser caught him by surprise, shoving him abruptly into a fenced in dining area for a restaurant. He couldn't stop the momentum and dropped over the side of the fence, hard. He sat himself up in time to watch Krauser wheel around to face the helicopter, gun raised. Semi-automatic gunfire pattered across the front windshield of the aircraft.

At least one of the bullets must have gone through the windshield and hit the pilot because the chopper swerved, losing control. Then it was rapidly drawing closer to the ground, right where the mercenaries were running. When they saw their own helicopter coming down on them, the soldiers all split apart, dashing out of the street in different directions. Chris got himself to his feet, leaning on the fence and eyeing the knife in his hand. He should really get the blade out. The thought of removing the offending object in his palm was interrupted when Krauser said something to him from where he stood on the side of the street.

"We've got to go."

The former BSAA soldier turned vigilante for justice glanced back at the dispersed group of mercenaries. They were gathering back together quick and looking pretty determined to kill too. Chris knew Krauser could probably escape them easily but he wasn't so sure about himself. Not with his bleeding gunshot and knife wounds slowing him down because of the loss of blood. This was the kind of thing he never liked doing. Having to make decisions which could let him live or end his life. There was never a clear answer or way to do things. All he knew was that he needed to do them.

The world needed someone to save it and while Chris did not think of himself as a hero of any sort, he knew others might. And so for them he fought because someone had to. The way Kijuju had been affected by Las Plagas, it was something that happened in other places too. Unfortunately, there was a lot of potential for the spread of viral attacks across the world. Even though the BSAA had turned out to be like STARS, just another organization created by Umbrella to allow them to keep an eye on the things they felt they needed to, the organization had still managed to do a lot of good while it existed. Bio-terrorists were stopped, viral outbreaks prevented, and even without the organization, Chris remained determined as ever to continue his efforts against these terrorists.

So here he was facing another decision to be made but this time he didn't think they could make it. He didn't understand why Krauser didn't leave him behind. He was obviously going to slow them both down and could get them killed. Krauser didn't seem worried though. He was patiently waiting for Chris to come join him on the street and when he did, his gaze scanned him up and down.

"You alright? We're gonna have to really move to lose these guys."

Chris opened his mouth to answer but didn't get any farther than that. A dark blue car careened down the street past the mercenaries, screeching to a halt so close to him that he could see the make and model. It was a Ford Taurus and he could identify the driver as soon as she got out from behind the wheel to look over the car at him and Krauser.

"Hey Chris, did you want a ride?" the woman gave the nearing mercenaries a look before adding, "Or would you rather stay here with your new friends?"

His "new" friends chose that moment to start shooting. He and Krauser didn't waste any time getting into the vehicle, both of them throwing themselves in the back. Bullets slammed into the trunk and windshield and then the car was peeling away, creating more and more distance between them and the mercenaries. The vehicle didn't slow down until the gunfire died out altogether and the city became more or less quiet. They appeared to have escaped the areas of the city where danger lurked and when about five minutes later, Chris could see an airstrip come into sight through the car window, he brought his attention to the driver.

"How did you know this was where we were trying to get to?"

"The blonde guy, Albert Wesker. He called me on my cell phone, told me where you were all trying to get and that some of you might need help getting there. Said he would be much obliged if I came and helped seeing as how my partner was responsible for a large portion of the trouble done to you all. So I followed the gunfire and happened upon the two of you." Seemingly as an afterthought, Detective Taylor added, "That Wesker is a real bastard, isn't he?"

Chris had to smile. "You have no idea just how much."

He was surprised once again by something Wesker had done. He had gone out of his way to get the detective's cellular number and call her to bring aid to them. Could the presence of his daughter really change him so? Chris had to admit, it really did seem like love when the two were with each other. True and actual unconditional love between a father and his child. But all his life Wesker had been a cool and calculating man who went after what he wanted, and usually, he got it. No matter how much he would like to believe Wesker was a changed man, the belief rang hollow in his mind. He was a tyrant, forever changed by the Umbrella Corporation, and Chris suspected he would never stop his resolve to create a new world. It was a good thing he was still infected with the R-Virus because that way he'd be around to stop Wesker should he ever try and force evolution on mankind again.

Right now Chris didn't know what was going to happen with Wesker. But at least he knew Katherine Taylor had made it out of the Umbrella building alive and well. He pulled himself from his thoughts as Detective Taylor brought the car to a stop not far from a large airplane. She made no move to get out but instead looked over her seat at him and Krauser.

"This is where I leave you. I have no rights in this city as a cop so I could do little to help if you got arrested. I got you to your plane, now get away while you can."

Chris and Krauser got out of the car but he leaned in to say one last thing to Katherine. "Thanks for the help."

"Of course. Now don't take this personally, but..I really hope I never see any of you again."

"Likewise."

He smiled at her and then shut the door behind himself. As soon as the car drove off, he let the smile drop. His hand hurt like hell. Raising up the bloody hand, he got a grip on the handle of the knife and braced himself before yanking out the blade. All manner of unspeakable words left his mouth and he felt the knife drop from his hand but couldn't bring himself to care.

"Every time old injuries heal, you seem to get yourself new ones to replace them, Chris. Have you ever tried not getting hurt?"

Wesker, once again too close for comfort.

"How else could I bring you such immense pleasure?" he asked the blonde tyrant, heavy on the sarcasm. He knew how much the man must be loving seeing him in pain and bleeding.

"Hm..I could think of a few."

Chris didn't know what that meant and to be honest, he figured he was better off not knowing. So instead of saying anything which inevitably would lead to yet another tiresome discussion with the man he had quite the history with, he turned towards the buildings of the city to wait for the others to arrive. Apparently Wesker was fine with not talking, but he wasn't fine with the condition Chris was in because he walked over and raised his injured hand up for inspection. When he tried to pull his arm away, the older man's grip tightened, painfully. He got the not so subtle hint and stopped resisting, physically anyway.

"It's fine. It'll heal."

"Yes but continued blood loss could have side effects," he paused for emphasis and then said, "Like death."

He stared with wide eyes at the taller man. "Ah."

Wesker was finishing bandaging Chris's hand, the severest of his injuries which was something to be thankful for, all things considered, when another vehicle pulled up to the plane. It was a green minivan and had likely been procured through a less legitimate channel compared to the ride Chris and Krauser had gotten from Katherine. As soon as his hand was let go, he lowered it, not wanting to worry anyone about an injury of his that would heal fully in time. It made him wonder that he was thinking specifically of Eva when he had this thought.

Claire hopped out of the front passenger seat while Leon came around the vehicle from the driver's side. Both of them were looking kind of nervous and uncomfortable. Chris came over to the two and addressed their identical demeanor immediately.

"What's wrong?"

Leon deferred to Claire, who started babbling an answer out. She was speaking to Wesker though, not Chris.

"I'm sorry, Wesker. She said she had to use the bathroom and then I found a letter and her gun left behind. I read it. I guess she just got tired of living this kind of life. She wanted to be normal and it looks like she's going to make that happen for herself. If it's any consolation, this was her choice."

She handed the letter to Wesker, who accepted it without a word. His eyes scanned over the words, once, twice, after the third time he held it out towards Chris. He looked at Wesker, surprised.

"What?"

"It was written for you."

He stared at the other for another moment before taking the piece of paper from his grasp. He read it while Wesker boarded the plane to make preparations for take-off, Krauser following after him. Chris folded the letter and put it away when he was done, Claire coming over with concern etched all over her face. He knew she would want to talk about it and that was the last thing he wanted to do so he spoke before she could.

"As soon as we land, Leon's going to take you back home, Claire."

"Chris-"

"You came looking to make sure I was okay and I am so you can go home now."

"Yeah but Chris-"

"There's nothing here for you, Claire." He turned his attention over to the government agent, peering over his sister's shoulder. "You got that, Leon?"

"Don't worry, you can count on me."

Chris gave the man a nod to show he believed him. He knew Leon would get it done. When a helicopter came into sight, drawing nearer, he feared the police had finally gotten wise and found them. The mercenaries could have discovered their location and come to eliminate them. Instead, the aircraft was unmarked and appeared to have come for a very different reason. It landed not far from the plane and just sat there, rotor blades spinning. Krauser got out of the airplane then and waved briefly as his farewell to them before climbing into the front passenger seat of the helicopter.

The chopper took off and Chris watched it go, taking Krauser to his next mercenary mission most probably. He sighed, knowing Krauser held beliefs like Wesker and he wasn't sure how he felt about him getting away. Wasn't it his job to stop people like this? So why then, did he keep letting them walk away? Direct threats. That was what Chris had to focus on when he pretty much worked alone for the most part. He had to grant his attention to the more immediate bio-threats. It was the only way not to be met with complete failure.

He got on the airplane with his sister and Leon close behind. Wesker was waiting for them and he gave Chris a look that told him he was to follow. He found himself annoyed that even though the man hadn't been his captain for over ten years, he still thought himself in charge. He who has the power... It drove him crazy Wesker had super abilities which only weakened if his steady injection dose was altered. That did make it a bit harder to be on the side against him, or to even argue with the man.

After seeing Leon and Claire had settled into seats near the front, he made his way into the very front where Wesker was seated at the controls. He sat down in the seat meant for a co-pilot and stared quietly forward out the window, feeling the plane shake into life. Then the large aircraft was moving, picking up speed, until finally lifting off of the ground and into the sky.

"There are rumors of a new bio-weapon being created in France. I'm going there to destroy it and you're coming with me."

He was startled at the man's words. "You expect me to believe you are going to start fighting bio-terrorists now? After all you've done?"

Wesker being Wesker, replied simply and without expression. "Yes."

Chris stared at him for a very long time trying to see something false in his offer to fight biological threats with him. He couldn't tell. It was hard to tell with Wesker though. The man was a professional, in everything he did. He shifted his gaze back to looking out the window.

"Okay."

Wesker probably took it as Chris's response to his offer and it was. However, it was also the former agent telling himself how things were. Everything was going to be okay. Soon Leon would have Claire home safe and the once rookie Raccoon City police officer would be back to his own job in the government. Ada was in the wind, presumably with Melody in tow, while Krauser was likely off on another mission. The latter two things bothered him but he couldn't do anything to change them so he pushed them to the back of his mind. For now he would concentrate on what Wesker had said to him. That they would remain together to stop further bio-terrorists.

He didn't buy it for a minute that it was what the tyrant was truly doing, not entirely. This way though, he could more successfully accomplish his mission against bio-terrorism and keep an eye on Wesker. He only wished..no, there was little point in dwelling on the past, no matter how recent it might be. She had made her choice. And he had made his. Chris would fight this war against bio-terrorists for as long as he remained breathing, no matter the personal sacrifices he was forced to endure. Wesker may dream of a world full of evolved beings, but Chris had a different vision of the world. He dreamed of a world without fear. This fight of his was what made him the man he was and he would never change that.

I know you're going to hate me. But this is something I have to do. Something I have to do for myself. I've left my gun behind because my new life is going to be an actual life, not one constantly filled with danger and violence. Some can make that kind of sacrifice and live a life like that. I can't though. Maybe it's selfish but I just can't. Not any more.

I figure that should make my father happy at least. He's probably going to read this and I guess he should. He never wanted that kind of life for me so I'm going to try and live a life that will make him proud. I wish he could live a life like that too but I'm not ignorant. So much has happened. Too much. Anyway, what I'm trying to say, now that I'm human I want to live like one. I want to be the woman I am.

You have your own life, your own goals, and if I stuck around, I would only get in the way. I know you're working for something that's worth fighting for and I think it's wonderful. You're my hero, cheesy as it may sound, but I look up to you and what you've done in your life for the benefit of people you don't even know. It's admirable and I hope there are others out there like you so you don't have to always fight this fight so alone. I know you probably don't want to hear this but I feel like when I met you, our very souls made some sort of connection. A connection deeper than typical human understanding. Try to remember what I said about the orchids I love so much. Orchids are said to have healing power and I honestly believe if you give them the chance, they can heal the wounds inside of you.

One day maybe you'll accept my leaving like this. I don't expect you to right now. I love you, Christopher Redfield, and I'm sorry I can't stay with you but it hurts when I do. I think maybe one day you could love me but not now. You're not ready to let anyone in. You haven't quite let the past go yet and that requires time. So time is what I'm giving you. Take care of yourself, Chris. Keep making a difference, fighting for what you believe in. You wouldn't be you if you didn't.


	42. Epilogue: Return

Epilogue

-Return-

Three Years Later...

The world was genuinely beautiful. There was so much to see and explore and yet the majority of people chose to remain inside ugly buildings most of every day. Televisions, computers, cell phones, or the latest musical devices. These were the things which occupied the time for just about everyone in an ever-changing world filled with so-called new and improved technology each week. She never had held interest in any of those things. A cell phone was the only technology she ever bothered to carry around with her and she hadn't used a computer since her days earning her doctorate in Genetics. Though her current job was probably going to require her to use a computer to input data one of these days, to follow record-keeping protocol and all that law-abiding stuff.

That's right. Eva Jane Wesker was now a full-fledged member of society who obeyed the laws set forth by the U.S. government. She had held a job for nearly three full years now, working in a lab where the focus was on eradication of deadly viruses and the search for cures to abate them in the meantime. The place was a branch off of some bigger organization, something called Terra Save. Essentially, Eva worked to prevent biological attacks or in the event of one unavoidable, to then limit the number of casualties that resulted. Her mother had been a research scientist, not much younger than Eva's 20 years when she had taken on her first placement in a laboratory. She would have liked to make her mother proud and following in her mother's footsteps seemed just the way.

Not exactly following in her footsteps of course. She would never work for a corporation like Umbrella. Though she didn't blame her mother for working for them. How could her mother have known how terrible and dark her employers really were? Eva had the normal life her parents always wanted for her now and she wasn't going to waste it. She had a job and even made a few friends where she worked. A naturally closed off person like her father, she wouldn't say she was extra close with any of these people, but they cared for her and she cared for them. That was friendship.

Her cell phone trilled in her forest green jacket pocket. Yeah, she actually wore colors other than black nowadays. She drew out the phone from her pocket and answered before it could disturb a man several yards off, kneeling with his back to her as he placed flowers in front of a grave.

"Yes."

Her tone flattened. "I have nothing more to say to you."

She listened for a long moment and already knew what she was going to say next. She had been thinking about it a lot lately.

"I heard what you've been up to. Back to your evil ways and all that. Aunt Natasha was right, you are a bastard who will never change."

More listening and her blue eyes narrowed as she did so.

Eva allowed her voice to become completely cold and distant right away. "As long as you distance yourself from Chris, you distance yourself from me as well."

She listened again, shaking her head even though no one was there to see it, before responding.

"I know I haven't seen him for years. Now is the time to remedy that. Goodbye father."

A loud click and the sound of the dial tone felt welcoming as she hung up on her dad. He preferred being called Wesker over father or dad but screw that. He didn't deserve a single thing from her. Not after finding out her father was working to create the very thing she was trying to stop. A biological invention which could only cause more harm than good. Once again, he was trying to forcefully alter the world into a newly evolutionized earth.

In her opinion, she had no parents. There was no longer a father in the picture. As much as she wanted family, she didn't need it. She had Natasha as family and she had friendships and that was plenty enough. However, it was time to go after a different kind of want. Always she had hungered for love of some kind and after discovering true love, real and whole, which had never once abated over the last few years, she knew this day would come.

Eva started her walk over to the gravestone of one Jill Valentine after pocketing the cell phone. Her footsteps were heard by the man knelt before the courageous woman's final resting place as he reacted by getting to his feet, giving the grave one last lingering glance. Then he was turning and a smile creased her face as she readied herself to reenter the life of Chris Redfield. She had the feeling there was going to be some great moments to come.

Author's Note: As always, reviews are welcome =) The third and final story is in progress and will be up soon. Feel free to proceed to read once it's published! It's titled, Project: Legend.


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